TV coverage of environment news less than one percent

There is a dearth of environment coverage on Indian TV channels with the coverage since 2009 showing a sharp decline, said a study ahead of World Environment Day June 5.

According to a CMS ENVIS Centre study on television trends in reporting environment news, in 2009 environment coverage was only 1.53 percent while news on politics comprised 20.36 percent of the coverage.

In 2010, the coverage of sports news was 17.93 percent while environment news was just 1.29 percent.

From 2011 to 2013, the coverage of politics dominated over social issues. The coverage of environment news sharply declined since 2009.

It was found that in the last five years, the media rarely focused on various environmental issues such as agriculture, weather, natural disasters and wildlife.

"As the backbone of our survival and consistent maintenance on Earth, environment needs to be lent the required space and structure that it rightfully holds. Only then, a mature and palpable interaction will be made possible," CMS said in a release.

The study focused on six mainstream 24X7 TV news channels over a five-year period from 2009 to 2013.

The year-wise analysis of the news channels revealed that news on politics, sports, entertainment and crime had maximum coverage in five years, while less than one percent of the total time was devoted to issues like environment and wildlife.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to accommodate environment effectively so that the validity of its essence is comprehended and widespread understanding is generated, it said.

CMS ENVIS Centre is a centre designated by the union ministry of environment and forests to facilitate information dissemination and further the cause of environmental awareness.