Source: Flickr, The Arctic Century

Commentary by Dr. Raj Kumar Sharma, Senior Research Fellow at NatStrat in New Delhi, India, on a recent cross-country analysis examining how the Arctic is depicted in the media of both the Global North and Global South. This analysis highlights the contrasting narratives and perspectives that emerge from different regions, reflecting varied geopolitical interests, cultural contexts, and environmental concerns.

Researchers at the Project Office for Arctic Development performed an in-depth analysis of the portrayal of the Arctic in the media across different nations and regions. This study encompassed both countries with coastline access to the Arctic Ocean and territories beyond the Arctic Circle, and included insights into the Arctic policies of India and China. The experts pinpointed nine topics—resource extraction, climate change, biodiversity, logistics, security, culture, tourism, science, and NATO—allowing them to establish connections between media narratives that address Arctic-related issues.

One of the conclusions drawn by the authors of the study is that, regarding the volume and focus of publications on Arctic issues, Russia is more aligned with the East.

In Russian media, the Arctic is primarily portrayed as a venue for fostering scientific collaboration and preserving the culture and livelihoods of indigenous populations, with a significant portion of news focused on resource extraction. In contrast, Western nations tend to prioritise discussions of military build-up in the Arctic, often raising concerns about enhancing geopolitical influence through NATO.

“Russia along with India could look to bring more focus on the impact of climate change on the Arctic and how this impacts the Global South. This could be done via the Voice of Global South summits that are hosted by India. Russia could devise a platform to bring together various indigenous people of the Arctic and beyond in order to listen to their concerns and frame them in its policy making,” as proposed by Dr. Raj Kumar Sharma, who evaluated the study.

Dr. Sharma additionally suggested that Russia might consider organising events and offering fellowships and training for journalists from the Global South. This initiative would aim to enhance their understanding of the Arctic and enable them to represent it accurately in their respective media outlets.

Full text is available here.