ABSTRACT
Research has identified the importance of the public sphere in a variety of settings, yet considerable gaps remain in our understanding of how local communities use this public space to resolve local conflicts. We extend the existing literature by exploring the role that framing plays in competing efforts to shape the public space for debating a local environmental con-troversy.Drawing from a unique dataset of letters to the editor published in the local newspaper, we analyze a case involving a uranium processing facility's controversial proposal to store additional radioactive waste. Residents opposed to the waste relied heavily on letters to the editor to articulate their opposition to the company's plans and to garner additional community support. Our findings indicate that those opposed to the waste engaged in motivational framing, challenged the veracity of the company's claims, and resurrected a history of corporate misconduct. Those supporting the company's decision denounced the public sphere and sought to silence critics by emphasizing how the community was damaged by the negative discourse. They also sought to discredit and stigmatize those speaking out. These findings have implications for future research on the public sphere and the role of framing in public deliberations.
