Mediated discourse analysis of differences in protagonist's and antagonists' understanding of sustainable development

Abstract

• MDA analysis of local voices adds to the complexity of sustainable development in the mining context. • This study reveals that touring a company's physical site and paying attention to discourses in place triggers frames that open up alternative discourses. • MDA's focus on multimodality helps to bring together and jointly analyse the biophysical and social elements of the environment. • By combining MDA, nexus analysis methodology and framing, this article reveals how framing provides a basis for comparing different ways of representing SD. • This study shows local-local activists' unique use of discourses in place as mediational means to communicate a message of negative social environmental effects.