Structuring public debate on biotechnology: Media frames and public response

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1994

Publication Title

Science Communication

Publisher

Sage

Volume

16

Issue

2

Abstract

A study of themes arising within focus group discussions of U.S. lay publics (both student and nonstudent adults) in response to newspaper coverage of biotechnology is consistent with the assertion that media frames and reader schemas interact to produce an understanding of a newly emerging issue. Newspaper coverage heavily dominated by institutional sources and dealing with only a narrow range of issues may be limiting the terms of public debate in an unhealthy way. Readers reason by analogy with related and sometimes unrelated developments in trying to understand biotechnology, based on schemas reflecting their general understanding of science.

Keywords

Biotechnology – Public opinion; Communication in science; Mass media; Newspapers; Press; Science news

Disciplines

Biotechnology | Communication | Journalism Studies | Science and Technology Policy | Science and Technology Studies

Language

English

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