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Media Representation and Construction of Public Perception of Airport Services in Bangladesh: A Content Analysis of Selected Media Reports

Keywords

Abstract

The media is an important instrument that can influence public opinion by providing information about airport activities. Every day in a modern information-based society, individuals are inundated with information across a variety of print, electronic, and online media and are kept abreast of topical events. Topics such as airport development, passenger services, security systems, and the expansion of airport infrastructure have been in the mass media in Bangladesh in recent years. In this sense, it is relevant to examine the representation of airport-related news in the mass media and its possible influence on their perceptions. The main aim of this study is to analyze the representation of airport-related activities in different print, electronic, and online media to assess the possible impact of news on the people. All the news coded into theme, tone, framing, source, and so on. Content Analysis was employed in the study. Over a three-month period, 120 news reports from print, electronic, and online news media were selected for posting and subsequently analyzed. The news items were chosen according to the relevance and importance of the airport-related issues. The study revealed that the media mostly covered aviation-related news in print and online, and that news with a negative tone received the most attention. The discussion most often centered on security, infrastructure, and passenger service, with human-interest and problem-oriented frames most common in the media. The study's findings offer policymakers, airport authorities, and communication experts’ insight into developing effective communication strategies.

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