Anti-pollution protests in the Vietnamese media: a form of mediated authoritarianism

Environmental protests in Vietnam are frequently disruptive, involving blockades of company entrances and highways to pressure polluters into compliance. While media reports portray the government as often making concessions, repression is reported in only a few cases. Vietnam’s selective media coverage sometimes allows grievances to be aired while channeling public discontent toward local officials and businesses, preserving the legitimacy of the central government. This study introduces the term “mediated authoritarianism” to describe this phenomenon, in which state-controlled media play a strategic role in both amplifying public grievances and containing their political impact, thereby reinforcing authoritarian stability. Using a qualitative content analysis of 481 news reports (2005–2024), this study finds a bias favoring local residents against polluters in most articles. Media narratives highlight the harmful effects of pollution on health and livelihoods, while companies are framed as the primary culprits and rarely given a voice. Meanwhile, the government is portrayed as willing but constrained, reinforcing an image of responsiveness despite its failure to resolve systemic environmental issues. These findings demonstrate that greater media transparency does not necessarily lead to political liberalization but can instead serve as a mechanism for authoritarian resilience. By developing the concept of mediated authoritarianism, this study contributes to broader debates on the role of media in authoritarian governance and environmental contention.