Newspaper Coverage of Environmental Issues in the Western Ghats as Audience Perceive

Environmental issues pertaining to the degradation of the Western Ghats are being debated more frequently in the recent past. Much of the debate is taking place in mass media. Studies have indicated that mass media play a pivotal role in shaping the perception of the public about environmental issues. A survey was conducted in Shimoga and Uttara Kannada districts to analyze the readers' perception regarding print media coverage of environmental issues in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats of India are often regarded as one of the world's 34`biodiversity hotspots. The Ghats contain more than 30 percent of India's rich sources of flora, fauna, mammal species and flowing rivers and incredible topographical features. Large-scale deforestation, mining and industrial activities in the region have raised concern among the environmentalists and ordinary citizens. The region has seen witnessed vibrant environmental activism in the last four decades. The present study found that the newspaper reports constituted a major source of information on environmental issues for the readers.