A decade-long study of UK newspaper coverage (2010–2020) reveals that media portrayal of trophy hunting—especially after the 2015 death of Cecil the Lion—has been overwhelmingly negative and oversimplified. Of 624 articles analyzed, 90% were published post-Cecil, with 63.1% expressing anti-hunting sentiment. This was particularly strong in tabloids (84.2%) versus broadsheets (42.2%). Only 3.5% of articles were pro-hunting, and nuanced discussions of the practice declined significantly after Cecil’s death. Media coverage focused mostly on charismatic species like lions and elephants, overlooking commonly hunted game. The study warns that emotionally charged, one-sided reporting can skew public opinion and drive poorly informed conservation policy. It calls for more balanced media narratives that reflect the ecological, social, and economic complexities of trophy hunting, which can—when managed well—support conservation and local livelihoods.
