Discourses on Mining in Print Media, Public Participation and Decision-making: The Case of the Jadar Project (Serbia)

Public debates on mining and mineral extraction often generate conflicting viewpoints, reflecting the tension between the global demand for critical minerals (“mining for climate”) and local environmental and socio-economic concerns. This paper examines recent heated discussions and mass protests surrounding the proposed lithium mine in Western Serbia, focusing on the narratives shaping public perceptions of the Jadar project. As the media play a key role in shaping public opinion through analytical articles, this research aims to identify dominant narratives on the (dis)advantages of the Jadar project in daily newspapers, the key actors behind them, and illustrate how poor governance and lack of transparency can delay or halt mining projects by increasing public dissatisfaction. The study analyses articles on lithium, their frequency, and discourse representation in two prominent Serbian dailies with contrasting editorial orientations: Politika, conservative and state-affiliated, and Danas, liberal and opposition-aligned. The findings show that the lack of transparency in the project’s early stages contributed to citizen mobilization and the politicization of the issue during 2023–2024. Two opposing narratives unfold simultaneously: a pro-mining narrative emphasizing economic benefits and an anti-mining narrative stressing environmental risks.