Climate Change Adaptation Coverage in Kenyan Print Media: a Study of Cop 26 and Cop 27

Abstract

This study analyzed how Kenya print media covered climate change adaptation in Kenya around the time of COP 26 and COP 27 meetings. It conducted a content analysis of the Daily Nation and the Standard newspapers in the month before, during and after the COP meetings using the agenda-setting and social responsibility theories of the press. A mixed method research design including both qualitative and quantitative methods was used in the study. It identified 92 articles from both dailies that were analyzed quantitatively on Excel and qualitatively using a thematic approach to describe the findings. The key research findings indicated that the media's top primes revolved around local adaptation strategies, funding for adaptation initiatives, clean energy, and policy and government involvement in adaptation efforts. These findings underlined the media's role in prioritizing and framing critical aspects of climate change adaptation, contributing to public discourse and awareness. It also revealed that the media primarily played a monitoring role in reporting the issue and that key events such as COP meetings drive up coverage of climate change adaptation stories. Because feature articles provided more in-depth analyses of issues and a more human centric approach that is relatable, the study recommends that print media use more of the type of articles to cover climate change adaptation issues. It also recommends further studies being conducted to determine the impact that climate change adaptation stories in the media have on local communities in Kenya, and whether they encourage them to take up adaptation strategies.