ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a textual analysis of six national newspapers from Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica, focusing on specific hydroelectric and mining megaprojects studied in the research: Barro Blanco (Panama), Reventazón (Costa Rica) and La India and Libertad (Nicaragua). The analysis complements the findings from the primary interactive research methods used in the project. The results reveal that the dominant social actors featured in the media are communities/society, government/public sector institutions, and the companies or entities responsible for executing the megaprojects. These actors appear and are represented in distinct ways across the three countries. In Panama, the representation of the Barro Blanco project centers on the conflict between local communities and the state. In Costa Rica, the Reventazón project is shown through a predominantly technocratic lens, with little critique of the decision to locate the hydroelectric plant. In contrast, the Nicaraguan press frequently references “development,” a trend that may reflect both the country's lower development indicators and the political use of development discourse in public narratives.
