Evolution of Public Perspective Related to Marine Debris Issues Through Analyzing Media Coverage

Marine debris has garnered significant attention from governmental and civilian sectors and has become an environmental issue of media focus. If environmental issues receive extensive media coverage, this can influence societal attention to these issues. Previous research has seldom explored the relationship between news reports and marine debris on a long-term scale. This study investigates long-term trends in news coverage of marine debris in Taiwan's mainstream newspapers and environmental media, using qualitative content analysis, descriptive statistics, and cluster analysis. Findings show that over the past two decades, Taiwanese society has increasingly recognized the importance of marine debris. News themes focus on two main aspects: practical interventions and preventative measures, as well as broader educational, collaborative, and perceptual approaches to addressing marine debris. Overall, the evolving media coverage reflects Taiwan's shift from early awareness of ecological damage and waste types to more integrated strategies that include prevention, corporate responsibility, education, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.