The protagonism of local populations in the Mariana and Brumadinho crises in the national and regional press

Abstract

In 2015 and 2019, respectively, in the cities of Mariana and Brumadinho, in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil), the two most significant environmental and labor disasters in the history of the country occurred. Two iron ore tailings dams ruptured. These disasters had a considerable impact on the lives of the communities where they happened, and received widespread coverage in the Brazilian and international media. This article analyzes the highlights from printed media with the most significant national circulation (Folha de S. Paulo, O Globo, Veja, and Época) as well as regional ones in the Minas Gerais State (Estado de Minas and O Tempo). The article concentrates on the first pages of the chosen media’s coverage within one year after these incidents. Quantitative analysis of the content of 3,148 covers of these newspapers and magazines was used to determine the most prominent actors and themes. The main highlights of this paper are: (i) the role of local populations, as the most prominent actors, portrayed in their testimonies and personal stories (ii) the difference between the most prominent themes, which were, in Mariana, publications on environmental damage, and, in Brumadinho, the threat of new disasters; and (iii) the greater emphasis given by the regional media in comparison to the national ones. This study provides local communities with information about how they were represented and how the press received their demands and mobilizations. The article also offers elements for discussion and the use of strategic communication tools in the mobilization of local populations and the repair of damage to the image of the organizations involved.