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In Pakistan smog season, news outlets miss stories about solutions

It isn’t just hazy — it’s suffocating. During smog season in Lahore, Pakistan, something as simple as breathing can become a major health risk. People keep their windows shut to protect themselves, yet they can smell smoke even indoors.

When we speak to family and colleagues in Pakistan by phone, they often have to break off, unable to speak because they are coughing and gasping due to the smog and particulate-laden air.

This is normal for residents of many major cities in Pakistan. The smog has worsened in recent years. Fine particulate air pollution known as PM2.5 increased by 25% in 2024 compared with 2023.

Smog started engulfing all major cities in Punjab, bringing life to a halt in major metropolitan areas. In November 2024, 129,229 patients visited hospitals due to respiratory diseases.

Pakistan is the fourth most polluted country in the world, thanks mostly to the smog that descends on cities such as Lahore and Sheikhupura every winter. Conditions are so bad that life expectancy in these cities is seven years shorter than where World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines are met.

Our research into news media representations of climate issues shows that the media have an important role in informing the public about the dangers and causes of smog. But often the reporting leaves out the human toll and ignores the impacts on health and lifestyle.

Clouded narratives

We analyzed 356 news stories related to smog in Pakistan during 2017 and 2019, which appeared in six newspapers. We found that only 15% of stories discussedthe public health implications of smog – mostly there was no mention of precautionary measures such as wearing masks, moisturising skin (to build a barrier effect against environmental substance),

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