Several studies provide evidence of the role of written communication in influencing public perception towards genetically modified organisms, whereas visual communication has been sparsely investigated. This article aims to evaluate the exposure of the Italian population to scary genetically modified organism–related images. A set of 517 images collected through Google are classified considering fearful attributes, and an index that accounts for the scary impact of these images is built. Then, through an ordinary least-squares regression, we estimate the relationship between the Scary Impact Index and a set of variables that describes the context in which the images appear. The results reveal that the first (and most viewed) Google result images contain the most frightful contents. In addition, the agri-food sector in Italy is strongly oriented towards offering a negative representation of genetically modified organisms. Exposure to scary images could be a factor that affects the negative perception of genetically modified organisms in Italy.

How scary! An analysis of visual communication concerning genetically modified organisms in Italy / V. Ventura, D.G. Frisio, G. Ferrazzi, E. Siletti. - In: PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE. - ISSN 0963-6625. - 26:5(2017 Jul), pp. 547-563.

How scary! An analysis of visual communication concerning genetically modified organisms in Italy

V. Ventura
Primo
;
D.G. Frisio
Secondo
;
G. Ferrazzi
Penultimo
;
E. Siletti
Ultimo
2017

Abstract

Several studies provide evidence of the role of written communication in influencing public perception towards genetically modified organisms, whereas visual communication has been sparsely investigated. This article aims to evaluate the exposure of the Italian population to scary genetically modified organism–related images. A set of 517 images collected through Google are classified considering fearful attributes, and an index that accounts for the scary impact of these images is built. Then, through an ordinary least-squares regression, we estimate the relationship between the Scary Impact Index and a set of variables that describes the context in which the images appear. The results reveal that the first (and most viewed) Google result images contain the most frightful contents. In addition, the agri-food sector in Italy is strongly oriented towards offering a negative representation of genetically modified organisms. Exposure to scary images could be a factor that affects the negative perception of genetically modified organisms in Italy.
biotechnology; GM food; media and science; media representations; science communication; science journalism
Settore AGR/01 - Economia ed Estimo Rurale
Settore SECS-P/06 - Economia Applicata
Settore SECS-S/01 - Statistica
Settore SECS-S/03 - Statistica Economica
lug-2017
1-apr-2016
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Public Understanding of Science-2016-Ventura-0963662516638634.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 837.56 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
837.56 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
0963662516638634.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 359.07 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
359.07 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/454197
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 0
  • Scopus 14
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 13
social impact