Green Hydrogen in Brazilian Media: Dominant Narratives and Missing Dimensions of the Energy Trilemma

Abstract

ABSTRACT Media discourses help shape the visibility and legitimacy of energy transition pathways in the public sphere. This study examines how Brazilian mainstream newspapers framed green hydrogen and assesses the alignment of these narratives with the energy trilemma: energy security, environmental sustainability, and social accessibility. We analyzed 286 articles published by G1 and Estadão between January 2020 and June 2023, combining BERTopic‐based topic modeling, supervised LDA, and qualitative contextual interpretation. The findings show that media coverage addressed all dimensions of the energy trilemma but prioritized financing, investment, production costs, regulation, and export opportunities. Social accessibility, environmental impacts, territorial conflicts, and the distributive implications of water and land use remained comparatively marginal. Brazilian media therefore tended to portray green hydrogen as a market‐oriented and export‐driven opportunity rather than as a comprehensive socio‐ecological transition. These findings highlight the limits of mainstream media framing and its insufficient attention to energy and climate justice. Related Articles Kerrouche, N., and C. Zehri. 2025. “Saudi Energy Transition: ARDL Analysis of Macroeconomic Trade‐Offs.” Politics & Policy 53, no. 6: e70085. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.70085 . Kilinç‐Pala, P. B. 2021. “Approaches in Energy Exclusive Security: Theories of Energy Security and the Dominance of Realism.” Politics & Policy 49, no. 3: 771–794. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12411 . Segatto, C. I., and D. Béland. 2018. “The Limits of Partisanship: Federalism, the Role of Bureaucrats, and the Path to Universal Health Care Coverage in Brazil.” Politics & Policy 46, no. 3: 416–441. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12252 .