Media Representations of the Greta Thunberg Myth: Between Hero and Trickster

This article is a comprehensive analysis of the British quality press representation of environment activist Greta Thunberg, focusing on the symbolic and mythological dimensions of her public persona. The study explores how the media constructs her image using archetypes that outline her mythological dimension, conferring her a universal and transcendent value, thus facilitating her access to diverse categories of audiences.
Through qualitative content analysis of media narratives featuring Greta Thunberg, published between 2018 and 2023 in the progressive publication The Guardian, the analysis aims to identify major themes, dominant symbolic structures and myths that construct the representations of Greta Thunberg.
The analysis is grounded on media anthropology, structural, symbolic, and interpretive anthropology, as well as psychoanalytic theories.
The study concludes that the media representation of Greta Thunberg is rather a reflection of the collective imaginary and the need for order in the face of societal crisis (climate change), offering a symbolic explanation that addresses the unknown and the inexplicable.
Keywords: myths, archetypes, media representation, Greta Thunberg.