Is large-scale wind power a problem, solution, or victim? A frame analysis of the debate in Swedish media

Therese Bjärstig,Irina Mancheva,Anna Zachrisson,Wiebke Neumann,Johan Svensson

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2021.102337

Therese Bjärstig, Irina Mancheva + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102337

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Abstract

Media content analysis was used with the aim of developing an understanding of how the debate on large-scale wind power has played out over time in Sweden, especially in relation to the enactment of national interest areas for wind power. Covering the period 1999 to 2019 and using NVivo for coding and analysis, we reviewed a total of 788 articles in both national and regional daily newspapers. To identify which actors are present in media and how they frame large-scale wind power, we conducted a frame analysis by applying three theoretical elements developed by previous media studies. The first is a diagnostic element used to pinpoint the cause to a problem, the second a prognostic element used to pinpoint the solution to a problem, and the third a motivating element used to identify the person(s) or object(s) suffering from the problem, that is, victim. Our results emphasize that wind power in recent years has been framed as a solution more often than a cause to a problem. One prevailing framing is the localization of large-scale wind power per se and conflicts with other land-uses and national interests. We also identify a tension between international and national policy objectives and local implementation of large-scale wind power. Governmental agencies are the most common framers over time, together with individuals (e.g. locals and second home owners) and wind entrepreneurs. Importantly, whereas politicians and wind entrepreneurs most often frame wind power as a solution, individuals frame it as a cause to a problem.

Highlights

Renewable and clean energy sources represent a major opportunity to reduce emission impacts and reach international climate policy objectives [1,2]
We found the most frames of large-scale wind farm estab lishments as being in conflict with other national interests in Goteborgs Posten (GP), fol lowed by Vasterbottens Kuriren (VK), SP, and Dagens Nyheter (DN)
Interest ingly, and in line with recent research findings [17], our results reveal that there are competing views on how effective or ineffective wind power is as an energy source, depending on who the framer is

Summary

Introduction

Renewable and clean energy sources represent a major opportunity to reduce emission impacts and reach international climate policy objectives [1,2]. Wind power is rapidly growing as a renewable energy technology [3,4]. The support for it is generally strong [5,6,7,8] with governments planning large-scale wind farm establishments. Le Tourneau [15] claims that an emerging challenge is reconciling the growing influence of local stakeholders with national public and international private sector interests, while Liljenfeldt [16] states that wind power development as a whole may be hindered as a consequence of increasing local resistance to planning processes that are perceived as unfair or excluding of local voices. Recent research shows that by underlining certain aspects of wind power e.g. climate concerns and economic opportunity, authorities, wind power entrepreneurs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a dominant role in influ encing wind power policies [17]

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