The framing of rhino horn demand reduction by Vietnamese ENGOs: cultural and other factors influencing the 'Responsibility' frame in ENGO media outputs

Abstract

Rhinos in Africa are threatened species mostly because of the trade in rhino horn centred in Vietnam. Can the media play a role in saving the rhino? This study aims to identify and analyse the key frames used by Environmental Non-Government Organisations (ENGOs) in Vietnam in their media campaign to reduce demand for the rhino horn and to evaluate the frames’ effectiveness. The study reviews the literature and addresses three key research questions about the identity of the frames, the cultural and other factors that influence the production of the frames and the efficacy of the frames used in respective ENGO campaigns. It uses a mixed method approach of press release framing analysis and semi-structured interviews to address the research questions. It identifies that four key frames are used almost exclusively by ENGOs, three of which belong to generic framing categories found in the environmental communication literature: “science”, “public accountability” and “attribution of responsibility”. The fourth frame “empowerment” represents a key function of social marketing campaigns in Vietnam. This study finds that the main challenges for ENGOs are proving Vietnam’s responsibility for the rhino poaching in South Africa, creating culture and audience appropriate frames to influence public opinion in order to change the behaviour of buyers and users of rhino horn and advocating stronger enforcement and prosecution efforts in Vietnam. It finds some ENGO strategies and practices potentially problematic - such as the use of consequence and association instead of evidence in the “Responsibility” frame, and the persistent but possibly unintentional enactment of crisis themes in a culture where the consumption of rare wildlife is highly valued. However, it finds that existing strategies such as the use of local staff to consult on cultural issues, using themes that are pertinent to the public, building relationships with selected journalists, interactions with selected elites, indirect gentle consumer-focused communication approaches and the use of graphic photos of mutilated rhinos or rhino family groups instead of photos that capture the animal’s power and majesty may be effective. The study recommends that ENGOs should emphasise the data they have collected that is evidence of Vietnam’s role as a key consumer nation; and become more “frame aware” in their selection, exclusion and emphasis of framing devices in their media outputs. It recommends the ENGOs produce strategic background frames, such as biodiversity education frames to begin the process of competing with existing problematic audience frames. The results suggest implications for further research such as a content analysis and framing analysis of the ENGO’s social media outputs. In a developing country which has a phenomenal uptake of social media and smart phone use such a study would be timely. Also useful would be a study of the dramatic interpretation of frames that ENGOs incorporate in television public service announcements (PSAs), an exploration of the investigative journalism practice into the illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam and a study into the generalisability of key messages and frames used by ENGOs in Vietnam to reduce demand in a selection of key illegal wildlife products. By taking both an internal and external approach to investigating the source strategies and cultural and external factors influencing framing of this emerging environmental movement in Vietnam, this study also illuminates the efficacy of current communication strategies and suggests ways to achieve improved outcomes combatting worldwide threats to wildlife