Exploring Environmental Journalism Practices in Singapore: The Case of a National Newspaper

Journalism practices utilize several approaches to reach out to target audiences. The efficacy of these approaches is dictated by a few considerations, chief of which are the salience of the message and the resonance it induces in the relevant population segment. In respect of the latter, framing is a powerful tool that can be used to enhance the reach of the message. Recognizing the environmental impact of plastics (and especially microplastics), this study sought to explore how a major broadsheet (The Straits Times) in Singapore framed the content of articles related to these materials for the year 2018, their extent of coverage in the forum pages, and article-level metrics. It was found that while there was coverage of plastics every month, only eight articles mentioned microplastics for the whole year. In addition, the forum page was found to be well utilized by letter writers to promote awareness of environmental issues related to plastics. Some implications of this study for journalism practice are presented.