Social discourse concerning pollution and contamination in Spain: Analysis of online comments by digital press readers

Abstract

This article examines the online comments written by readers of the major Spanish newspapers on the subject of pollution and contamination in Spain. The study offers a comparative analysis of the perceptions, ideas and discourse of those who post comments in the cases of fish contaminated with mercury and atmospheric pollution in the city of Barcelona. The research includes analysis based on some methodological principles of Grounded Theory, and reports differences between per- ceptions of food contamination felt as a severe, imminent and global health problem and of air pollution perceived as a social and political problem. Readers' comments reveal a significant tendency towards blaming the political and industrial sectors, among others, as well as a profound distrust of the institutions responsible for safeguarding public health.