Malaysia’s Media Framing of Plastic Pollution: The Case of Imported Plastic Waste

Public knowledge regarding environmental problems is determined by how new sources frame the issues in specific terms. Media images of Southeast Asian countries, particularly Malaysia, drowning in plastic waste are rife after China’s import ban. The concern is mounting over the uneven distribution of environmental and health burdens between developed and developing countries. Despite the growing perils of plastic pollution, there is no comparative analysis available on environmental news coverage in Malaysian mainstream and alternative media. This study aims to fill this research gap by investigating the differences in the framing of plastic pollution over four years. Quantitative content analysis of The Star’s and Malaysiakini’s coverage between January 2018 and December 2021 showed that controversy is the most frequently used frame for describing respective governments’ standpoints. Additionally, Malaysian newspapers are similar in their selection of primary issue definers. The implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.