DEADLY WILDFIRES RAVAGE ANDALUSIACOMPARATIVE VIEW
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Wildfires fuelled by a severe heatwave tore through southern Spain's Andalusia region, killing at least twelve people and leaving around twenty-three missing, one of the country's deadliest blazes in twenty years.
🇧🇪 Belgique vs 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
FRAMING GAP
10/100LOW
Belgique: Brussels mourns the death of a compatriot in the Almería flames and links the Andalusian drama to the unprecedented excess… — Royaume-Uni: London takes away from the Andalusian tragedy yet another confirmation of the climate urgency that is scorching Southern Europe…
Here are the main framing differences identified between media coverages.
ANALYSIS BY COUNTRY
BELGIQUEDOMINANT ANGLE
Brussels mourns the death of a compatriot in the Almería flames and links the Andalusian drama to the unprecedented excess mortality that Belgium experienced during the same heat wave.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Belgium's government is closely monitoring the aftermath of the Almería fire, which has been revised to twelve dead, twenty-three missing, and around six hundred displaced as of Friday evening, according to Andalusian authorities.
- •A Belgian national is among the victims, with the majority of the deceased being European tourists, particularly from the UK, who were present in the Almería province.
- •The same heatwave has resulted in a record excess mortality of 1,747 deaths in Belgium between June 18 and July 1, according to Sciensano.
BIASES
The Belgian perspective focuses on the Belgian victim: coverage highlights the deceased compatriot rather than the total of twenty-three missing people reported in Spain.Preference for the domestic climate angle: articles consistently link the Andalusian wildfire to Belgian excess mortality, to the detriment of an analysis of Spanish forest prevention policies.Limited coverage of the fire's causes: few details are available on the exact origin of the fire in Los Gallardos or the management of Andalusia's wooded areas.
UNITED KINGDOMDOMINANT ANGLE
London takes away from the Andalusian tragedy yet another confirmation of the climate urgency that is scorching Southern Europe and threatens even heavier tolls in the future.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •In London, concerns are growing as at least twelve deaths have been confirmed in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería, with some victims found in vehicles surrounded by flames, according to reports
- •The UK government is monitoring the situation as 150 firefighters have been deployed to Bedar, where 1,000 residents have been evacuated, and up to 19 people are reported missing
- •From the UK's perspective, the EU has deployed 777 firefighters from 14 countries to high-risk areas, including Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, as temperatures soar to 40°C
BIASES
The dominant climate framing: the UK government notes that articles consistently link the Andalusian wildfire to the climate crisis and continental warming, to the detriment of other local factors.The London-based press shows a preference for institutional Spanish sources, such as the Andalusian government and regional minister, over direct testimony from those affected.There is limited coverage of preventive measures or political responsibilities leading up to the disaster, with the focus instead on the human and meteorological toll.
BELGIQUEDOMINANT ANGLE
Brussels mourns the death of a compatriot in the Almería flames and links the Andalusian drama to the unprecedented excess mortality that Belgium experienced during the same heat wave.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Belgium's government is closely monitoring the aftermath of the Almería fire, which has been revised to twelve dead, twenty-three missing, and around six hundred displaced as of Friday evening, according to Andalusian authorities.
- •A Belgian national is among the victims, with the majority of the deceased being European tourists, particularly from the UK, who were present in the Almería province.
- •The same heatwave has resulted in a record excess mortality of 1,747 deaths in Belgium between June 18 and July 1, according to Sciensano.
BIASES
The Belgian perspective focuses on the Belgian victim: coverage highlights the deceased compatriot rather than the total of twenty-three missing people reported in Spain.Preference for the domestic climate angle: articles consistently link the Andalusian wildfire to Belgian excess mortality, to the detriment of an analysis of Spanish forest prevention policies.Limited coverage of the fire's causes: few details are available on the exact origin of the fire in Los Gallardos or the management of Andalusia's wooded areas.
UNITED KINGDOMDOMINANT ANGLE
London takes away from the Andalusian tragedy yet another confirmation of the climate urgency that is scorching Southern Europe and threatens even heavier tolls in the future.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •In London, concerns are growing as at least twelve deaths have been confirmed in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería, with some victims found in vehicles surrounded by flames, according to reports
- •The UK government is monitoring the situation as 150 firefighters have been deployed to Bedar, where 1,000 residents have been evacuated, and up to 19 people are reported missing
- •From the UK's perspective, the EU has deployed 777 firefighters from 14 countries to high-risk areas, including Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, as temperatures soar to 40°C
BIASES
The dominant climate framing: the UK government notes that articles consistently link the Andalusian wildfire to the climate crisis and continental warming, to the detriment of other local factors.The London-based press shows a preference for institutional Spanish sources, such as the Andalusian government and regional minister, over direct testimony from those affected.There is limited coverage of preventive measures or political responsibilities leading up to the disaster, with the focus instead on the human and meteorological toll.