AGENDA SETTING OF FOREST FIRE NEWS IN ONLINE NEWSPAPERS — A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FOREST FIRE NEWS COVERAGE IN REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

The increasing intensity of forest fires has emerged as a major environmental concern, posing serious threats to ecosystems around the world. The study examines the coverage of forest fire news and investigates what elements were used to cover forest fire news stories in regional and national newspapers in Himachal Pradesh. To accomplish this research, the study utilized quantitative content analysis using four newspapers: The Times of India and The Tribune (English), and Dainik Jagran and Divya Himachal (Hindi). A sample of ninety news stories (N = 90) was selected from four newspapers selected based on their circulation and readership. The findings revealed that most of the news stories were focused on the impact of forest fires on the environment in all the newspapers. The study also examines the coverage of forest fire causes, article length, and the use of visual elements. The findings revealed that most of the news stories, 37 (41.1%), did not specify the causes of forest fires, showing that greater emphasis was given on reporting incidents rather than explaining their causes. Among the causes covered, natural factors, 22 (24.4%), and human negligence, 19 (21.1%), received the most attention. The study found that most of the stories were of medium (50.0%) and short (46.7%) length, with very few news stories in the longer category. Overall, the findings revealed that most news stories had not covered the underlying causes of forest fires. Similarly, among different categories, policy-related news stories received relatively less prominence in all newspapers’ coverage. Therefore, the study recommends that greater emphasis be given to policy-oriented news and the underlying causes of forest fires to support effective forest management.