Critical discourse analysis of forest resources news in national newspapers: The case of Cumhuriyet, Posta and Sabah

Public interest in news about forest ecosystems has increased, and concurrently, the press has amplified the coverage of these issues. This study conducted a critical discourse analysis of forestry and forest resources news in Türkiye. The analysis focused on relevant news articles from three national newspapers (Cumhuriyet, Posta, and Sabah) published between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, forest fire news from 2021, a year marked by numerous forest fires, was included in the dataset. The news articles were scrutinized using Teun A. van Dijk's critical discourse analysis technique. The news was categorized into four main themes: deforestation and forest degradation, forest fires, afforestation, and other forestry issues. Through the critical discourse analysis technique, the macro and micro structures of a total of 87 news stories were examined. Variations in discourse and news presentation regarding forestry and forest resources among newspapers were identified, aligning with the newspapers' ideological stances. Cumhuriyet adopted a notably critical discourse towards the government and forestry institutions. On the other hand, Posta and Sabah newspapers framed forest resources news within a neoliberal framework. The discussions on forest resource issues were predominantly journalist-driven, with limited utilization of expert opinions, scientific sources, and statistics. It is recommended to enhance the public relations and communication capabilities of relevant forestry institutions to actively shape news discourses and educate the media on forestry matters.