Virtual Booth

With the rise of environmental and climate change concerns, the media plays an increasingly critical role in shaping public understanding and support for biodiversity conservation. In Malaysia, efforts such as the 100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign have garnered significant coverage in mainstream news outlets. However, it is uncertain whether environmental communication within these media narratives is portrayed effectively, which in turn translates into a change in mindset and behaviour, as well as increased knowledge among the readership. This study presents the TP² Framework, an analytical approach that combines thematic progression and thematic prominence to assess and improve media discourse on biodiversity conservation. Grounded in Systemic Functional Linguistics, the framework was developed through qualitative discourse analysis of mainstream Malaysian news outlets, including The New Straits Times, Bernama, Malay Mail, The Sun, and Utusan Malaysia, with a focus on the nationwide 100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign over a 5-year period, focusing on the thematic progression and thematic prominence patterns. The study reveals a consistent emphasis on government accountability, often highlighted through headlines that showcase quantifiable successes (e.g., the number of trees planted), with limited thematic foregrounding of ecological outcomes such as biodiversity restoration or carbon capture. The TP² Framework exposes these representational imbalances and offers pathways for reconfiguring media narratives to better support conservation literacy and environmental accountability. The TP² framework offers a practical guide for journalists, NGOs, and policymakers seeking to effectively disseminate environmental knowledge and concerns both locally and globally.