Re-writing the genetic code: an exploration of framing, sources, and hype in media coverage of Crispr
Date
2019
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In 2015, a small, repetitive section of DNA made international news when it helped scientists modify the genes of a living human zygote. That chunk of DNA, known as Crispr, has become an invaluable tool for genetic editing, with its use by scientists quickly overtaking both other common gene-editing technologies. Innovations using Crispr, from modifying mosquitos to prevent malaria, to creating drought-resistant crops, to the birth of the very first edited babies – twins – in late 2018, have made headlines in news outlets around the world. ☐ This study sought to understand how journalists present Crispr in news and science-oriented media in the United States. A content analysis of a three-year census of articles from top newspapers was used to examine the frames, sources, hype, and reliability statements that form the current narrative about Crispr. After analyzing 308 articles, several patterns were uncovered. Social progress is the most common frame used by journalists when writing about Crispr, scientists were the most common sources of information used by journalists, and men were far more likely to serve as sources than women. There were also notable differences in coverage between science magazines and newspaper articles: science magazines were more likely to discuss Crispr in terms of social progress, economic development, and scientific uncertainty frames, while newspapers were more likely to use runaway science frames. Science magazines were also more likely to use female sources than newspapers. ☐ In short, this study lays the groundwork for understanding the way media present a biotechnology that will soon be in clinical trials for disease therapies, creating modified plants and animals for us to consume, and potentially changing the genes of our children and humanity as a whole. By understanding the narratives used by mass media to discuss Crispr, future research can examine the effects this presentation has on audience opinion and public policy.