Motives of Environmental Coverages by North European Mass Media: The Role of Three Nordic Countries on Combating Plastic Waste

Abstract

For the three Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark and Sweden), forming public perceptions about the importance of environmental issues needs to be done. The role of the media function as a government policies controlling system is needed to influence the public/masses toward a better policy in environment. The purpose of this study is to find out why the media in Northern Europe are more concerned about environmental issues, especially in EU and the problem of plastic waste. The method used here is qualitative-descriptive with a comparative approach. The results show that the main reason for the three Nordic countries in voicing environmental criticism through the media is because their country's territory is directly adjacent to the sea zone, it is their main industrial base so that plastic waste pollution becomes a big threat to them. Mass media in Nordic countries can have a stronger role in influencing government policies related to plastic waste and often urge the government to implement more sustainable measures in plastic waste management. Mass media in can also act as a powerful information disseminator in addressing the urgency of plastic waste management to the public.