Environmental Sustainability: An Ecological Discourse Analysis to Explore Framing Pattern in the Dawn News Editorials

Abstract

This current study aims to conduct an ecological discourse analysis to examine the role of language in framing public perceptions, opinions and actions concerning environmental sustainability in the Pakistani Dawn news editorials. This study investigates the critical impacts of language in framing environmental discourses with special focus on Dawn News Editorials how trigger words are employed in order to draw human constructive attention towards environmental equilibrium. The purposive sampling technique is employed for data collection, while this study followed a qualitative research method in order to examine the role of trigger words and their impacts on human mental model regarding ecological sustainability. Theoretical framework is developed by in cooperating Stibbe’s Framing technique and Goffman’s Frame Analysis theory (1974) in order to present a comprehensive analysis in ecological context. The integrated framework is employed for analysis because it is the most appropriate model to give the answers of this study. The findings of this study revealed that language is influential instrument that offered multiple strategic tools like framing which has the potential to change the mental models of pubic by raising awareness about ecological urgency and motivated human actions to maintain ecosystem. Hence, this study concluded that The Dawn editorials strategically used ecological framing devices in to climax urgent environmental sustainability issues, through the reflection of environmental narratives that strongly demanded public actions and revised policies.