| Summary: | Abstract The research examines public debate related to mines in Northern Finland. The material is texts about Kavitsa and Talvivaara mines published in Helsingin Sanomat, Kaleva, Lapin Kansa and Kainuun Sanomat. The work creates an analytical overview of writing about mines and considers possible changes in the style. The problem set out in the dissertation is especially linked to the practices for producing environmental journalism. The background for the case study is a more general question of how financial projects affecting the environment are handled in the media. The material is approached with a frame analysis. The analysis is three-tiered: first we identify the main frames that structure the writing, then the interim frames that specify the main frames and finally the sub frames that sums up the viewpoints are identified. The work also compares texts based on different featured voices and examines the changes the first years of operation have generated in the public treatment of mines. Three main frames were identified in the material: a financial, an environmental and a safety main frame. In texts classified as belonging to the financial frame, the mines were mainly examined as financial phenomena. The environmental frame highlighted the environmental impact of mining and environmental protection. Within the safety frame, the texts examined health effects of mining emissions. The main frames were divided into eight interim frames from which 27 sub frames were derived. Based on the material, newspaper writing about northern mines is dual. Contrasting financial and environmental main frames were used nearly as much. There were, however, paper and mine-specific differences in how the main frames were divided. Kevitsa was usually approached from the financial viewpoint, while Talvivaara was more commonly determined through environmental effects. The financial frame was featured relatively most in Lapin Kansa. Helsingin Sanomat was most keen to construct the environmental frame. Mining industry ...
|
|---|