This paper investigates the popularised representations of gene-editing in the British broadsheets and tabloids over the two-year period 2017-2018. The basic assumption is that news reports serve as an important channel for dissemination of knowledge about gene-editing and are likely to influence the public opinion on this technology by constructing news stories in an interpretative way. This study sets to examine how tabloids and broadsheets frame gene-editing and genetic researchers linguistically and discursively, focusing on the selective representation of claims and the imagery associated with applications and implications of gene-editing. The methodological framework adopted is that of Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis. WordSmith Tools 6.0 software is used for lexical analysis and text search. The results indicate a convergent tendency of tabloids and broadsheets to explain and categorise the technology in a careful way, with tabloids relying more often on the quotes and attributions of scientists, and a divergent tendency in the use of loaded imagery.

Representing Gene-Editing in Newspapers: between Science Dissemination and Fantasy / J. Nikitina. - In: ANGLISTICA AION AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL. - ISSN 2035-8504. - 23:1(2019), pp. 43-57. [10.6093/2035-8504/8614]

Representing Gene-Editing in Newspapers: between Science Dissemination and Fantasy

J. Nikitina
2019

Abstract

This paper investigates the popularised representations of gene-editing in the British broadsheets and tabloids over the two-year period 2017-2018. The basic assumption is that news reports serve as an important channel for dissemination of knowledge about gene-editing and are likely to influence the public opinion on this technology by constructing news stories in an interpretative way. This study sets to examine how tabloids and broadsheets frame gene-editing and genetic researchers linguistically and discursively, focusing on the selective representation of claims and the imagery associated with applications and implications of gene-editing. The methodological framework adopted is that of Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis. WordSmith Tools 6.0 software is used for lexical analysis and text search. The results indicate a convergent tendency of tabloids and broadsheets to explain and categorise the technology in a careful way, with tabloids relying more often on the quotes and attributions of scientists, and a divergent tendency in the use of loaded imagery.
corpus-assisted discourse analysis; gene-editing; newspapers; popularisation
Settore L-LIN/12 - Lingua e Traduzione - Lingua Inglese
   Knowledge Dissemination across media in English: continuity and change in discourse strategies, ideologies, and epistemologies
   MINISTERO DELL'ISTRUZIONE E DEL MERITO
   2015TJ8ZAS_003
2019
20-nov-2021
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/939011
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