Waterlogged Metropolis: A Study on Newspaper Framing of Bengaluru Floods of 2022

In 2022, Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka state in India, experienced devastating floods that served as a harsh reminder of the catastrophic effects that natural disasters can inflict on communities. A study was conducted using the frames developed by Semetko and Valkenburg (2000) in the newspapers The Times of India and Deccan Herald to gain a deeper understanding of how floods were framed in the media. The study identified five dominant frames used in flood coverage: conflict, human interest, attribution of responsibility, morality, and economic consequences. Each frame provides a unique perspective on the Bengaluru floods. The conflict frame highlighted tensions and conflicts, the human-interest frame focused on personal stories, the attribution of responsibility frame sought to identify solutions, the morality frame emphasized ethical implications, and the economic consequences frame highlighted the financial impact of the floods.