LAUSR

Abstract The media plays a vital role in raising public awareness and concerns. This study analyzed media attention to the policy, opportunity and impact of REDD + towards enhancing sustainable forest management and mitigating climate change. Content analysis, case study and e-Delphi methods were employed. We collected 178 news articles from four media outlets in Cambodia and examined the media discourses led by the National REDD + Program Secretariat, TVK and Radio FM102 for the period of 2011–2016. The findings revealed that the media attention led by the Secretariat in collaboration with two media outlets spread the REDD + message nationwide and journalists gained knowledge and jointly set the media agenda with the government institutions. Four other reputable national media outlets published few news articles on REDD +. The e-Delphi survey of experts found that the key challenges limiting media discourses on REDD + were that the responsible institutions did not share information about REDD + events with the general media and that journalists had limited knowledge of REDD + and found the technical issues difficult. The study strongly highlighted that media framing is the most comprehensive choice to gain attention from policy makers and the public on REDD + policy, opportunity and impact.