Media Representations of Severity, Certainty, and Deterrence: An Eco-Centric Approach to Human-Centric Laws in Vietnam’s Fight Against the Rhino Horn Trade

Rhino poaching is among the most violent forms of wildlife crime, fuelled largely by demand for rhino horn in Vietnam. This talk explores how the rhino horn trade has been framed in Vietnamese digital media at a time when the illegal wildlife trade, long treated as a marginal issue, was formally categorised as a serious transnational crime alongside weapons, drugs, and human trafficking. Using news framing as an analytical lens, Dr. Michael Smith examines both NGO behaviour-change campaigns aimed at reducing demand and media portrayals of law enforcement against the trade. 

Drawing from a chapter in a forthcoming book on green criminology, the talk considers deterrence through an eco-centric perspective, foregrounding rhinos as sentient beings with inherent rights not to be harmed. It highlights how legal and media narratives shape public perceptions of violence and responsibility, and what an ethically grounded approach to preventing harm might require. All welcome - students, researchers, and anyone interested in animal law, green criminology, media framing, or wildlife trade governance. Refreshments and plant based lunch from Damascus Rose Kitchen will be provided! Looking forward to seeing you there.

Zoom link for online attendance: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86412412682?pwd=iocaWgISXXbLl28SzuU4tgMn5sea0j.1

Meeting ID: 864 1241 2682

Passcode: 492926