Dauda, Sharafa
(2018)
Malaysian Mainstream And
Alternative Online Newspaper
Representations Of Risks From Lynas
Rare Earth Project In Pahang,
Malaysia.
PhD thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
This study purposively explores representations of risks from Lynas
Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in six Malaysian online newspapers (The Star,
New Straits Times, The Edge Markets, Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider and Free
Malaysia Today). Discourse on the LAMP’s risks was pervasive in online news after
report in the New York Times highlighted that, an Australian company was granted
licence in 2012 to import and process rare earth in Kuantan. The aim of this study is
to explain the role of the media in the amplification and attenuation of risks from the
LAMP. A total of 1,167 news articles were content analysed and two journalists were
interviewed. Coding of data was guided by two frameworks – the Social
Amplification of Risks Framework and the Social Semiotic Theory of Multimodality
using thematic analyses and van Dijk’s discursive strategies. The research found
seven types of risks (environmental, financial, health, occupational, property,
radioactive, technological); and connections between environmental, financial,
radioactive and health risks. Radioactive risk was repeatedly intertwined with other
risks and was a key ingredient and major agent of amplification to direct public
attention toward radioactive risk from the LAMP. Three categories of news sources –
known, known/unknown and unknown emerged against the two categories in
existing literature, but known sources predominated. A handful of news sources
(NGOs, professional and trade organisations, residents, opposition and Malaysian
government) defined risks from the LAMP in terms of health, though residents’definition also covered environmental and financial risks. Furthermore, alternative
online newspapers amplified all seven risk types against mainstream’s five. Thus, the
alternative online newspapers provided diverse coverage than the mainstream.
Likewise, journalists’ roles in amplifying or attenuating risks included: using
multiple sources, (non)fact-checking, (non)filtering risk information, decoding risk
information and (non)application of journalism ethics. Modes used to amplify, or
attenuate risks were: colour, illustration, image, writing; and these occurred within
cultural, social, financial, hazardous, historical and political contexts. Discursive
devices used to convey meaning were history as a lesson, situation description,
number game, dramatisation, irony, counter-factual and repetition. The information
and transmission mechanisms used included: politicisation, advocacy campaigns,
allegations/brickbats and discursive devices. Overall, this study revealed that risk
representation from rare earth in a digital news environment is multidimensional and
intensified or weakened in a multi-layered discourse. The stakeholders are engaged
in a contestation by positioning their narratives to oppose or support their interests,
which are amplified or attenuated by the online newspapers as social amplification
stations.
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
