| Abstract: |
Plastic pollution has emerged as a critical global environmental
issue with widespread ecological and human health implications. In
this context, citizen journalism, characterized by user-generated
content disseminated through social media and digital platforms,
has become an influential medium in environmental advocacy. This
study explores how citizen journalism contributes to raising public
awareness about plastic pollution and challenges traditional media
narratives. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on a
carefully curated sample of user-generated content related to plastic
pollution collected from diverse digital platforms, including social
media networks, independent blogs, and online news forums. The
analysis involved the systematic coding of textual and multimedia
content to identify recurring themes, narrative structures, and
emotional tones. Inter-coder reliability measures were implemented
to ensure consistency and robustness in the thematic categorization.
The analysis revealed that citizen journalism significantly enhances
public engagement and environmental discourse on plastic
pollution. The findings suggest that the authenticity and immediacy
inherent in these narratives increase their persuasive power and
contribute to a heightened collective awareness, ultimately serving
as a catalyst for broader socio-political mobilization. |
