The Visibility Paradox of Conservation Communication in UNESCO Geoparks: Evidence from Social Media Analysis of Ijen Geopark

Abstract

Social media has become a key arena for mediated communication, shaping how public meanings are constructed and circulated around environmental and tourism related issues. This study examines how conservation and sustainability messages are framed and made visible within social media discourse surrounding Ijen UNESCO Global Geopark, Indonesia. Employing a convergent mixed methods design, the research analyzes 1,658 posts published on YouTube and X (Twitter) between 2021 and 2024. Quantitative content analysis shows that tourism-oriented frames dominate the discourse (81.9%), while conservation (1.5%) and educational frames (3.6%) receive limited visibility. Engagement analysis further indicates that conservation focused messages generate substantially lower interaction than tourism driven content. However, posts that strategically integrate conservation within tourism or cultural frames achieve significantly higher engagement. Qualitative thematic analysis identifies three dominant communication strategies that enhance conservation visibility: framing conservation through natural spectacle, amplifying local community voices, and communicating the balance between development and environmental protection. The findings reveal a “visibility paradox” in mediated environmental communication, where messages central to sustainability are marginalized by engagement-oriented platform logics. By foregrounding the role of framing and platform affordances in shaping message circulation, this study contributes to media and communication scholarship on digital discourse and offers practical implications for strategic communication in sustainability-oriented destinations.