Media representations of introduced invasive mammals: a comparison between trends in Argentina and Tierra del Fuego province

CAR, V; ADER, N; ANDERSON, CB; VALENZUELA, AEJ

Introduced Invasive Mammals of Argentina

Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamíferos

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2023; p. 193 - 205

Despite recognizing the need to integrate the ecological and social dimensions of environmentalproblems, biological invasions research and management still lack broad assessments oftheir human dimensions. In contemporary Western societies, mass media has become a fundamental social factor in the creation of shared ideas about nature, shaping different stakeholder's values, attitudes and behaviors. However, little attention has been paid to media portrayals of biological invasions. Using communication theories to build a conceptual framework, we studied the media representations of introduced invasive mammals (IIMs) in newspapers, comparing national-level outlets with those from Tierra del Fuego (TDF). Using key words related to IIMs, we identified and selected relevant articles (n = 344) that were assessed for 1) importance given to the topic of IIMs (e.g., cover stories, article length, accompanying photographs); 2) the values present and thematic orientation (e.g., negative, positive, neutral); and 3) information sources referenced in articles. Only 13 of Argentina's 23 IIMs were portrayed in newspapers; none were frontpage news. TDF showed a greater frequency of negative-oriented articles, coinciding with the scientific perspective provided by both scientific and political sources, and a lesser degree the agricultural sector. Plus, in TDF these articles were placed mostly in the newspapers' politics section. Nationally, articles were more general, citing both scientists and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Nationally, there were cases of information errors, and frequently “exotic” had polysemic meanings (e.g., exuberant, desirable, interesting) with an unclear value-orientation regarding biological invasions. IIMs are part of public discourse and part of TDF's public agenda. However, their portrayal in the media is highly conditioned to territorial issues and information sources. We recommend including science communication as part of professional media training, but biological invasion researchers and managers should also recognize the diversity of values and understandings of IIMs and the way that can affect policies.