Source: CORNELL UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
MEDIA AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Sponsoring Institution
State Agricultural Experiment Station
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
STATE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0193767
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2002
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2004
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
COMMUNICATION
Non Technical Summary
The problem is that media often offer incomplete and possibly inaccurate portrayals of issues related to biotechnology. Media contribute to public knowledge of the issues; thus, understanding can be incomplete or imperfect. The project examines media coverage of biotechnology, with the goal of improving public understanding.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993030100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
To examine how media portray the phenomena and issues of biotechnology.
Project Methods
Media content analysis of portrayal of biotechnology, survey research on public attitudes, awareness of biotechnology, experiments on public willingness to participate in discussions about biotechnology.

Progress 09/01/02 to 08/31/04

Outputs
This project analyzes media coverage and effects on public opinion in the area of biotechnology. Current aspects of the project include content analysis of science and biotechnology, and opinion surveys.

Impacts
Increased public understanding of agricultural biotechnology has consistently been the goal of this project.

Publications

  • Besley, J., & Shanahan, J. 2005. Exploring the relationship between media attention and exposure and support for agricultural biotechnology. Science Communication.
  • Besley, J. C., & Shanahan, J. 2004. Skepticism about media effects concerning the environment: Examining Lomborg's hypotheses. Society and Natural Resources, 17, 861-880.


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
A variety of papers and reports were published relative to public understanding of biotechnology. These efforts continue to focus on basic issues of understanding of biotechnology, especially within New York State but also nationally and internationally.

Impacts
Increased public understanding of agricultural biotechnology has consistently been the goal of this project.

Publications

  • D. Brossard & J. Shanahan. 2003. Do they want to have their say? Media, agricultural biotechnology, and authoritarian views of democratic processes in science. Mass Communication and Society, 2003, 6(3): 291-312.
  • Shanahan, J.E., M. Nisbet, D. Scheufele, B. Lewenstein, P. Moy, & D. Brossard. 2002. Knowledge, reservations, or promise? A media effects model for public perceptions of science and technology. Communication Research, 2002, 29(5): 584-608.


Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
This project analyzes media coverage and effects on public opinion in teh area of biotechnology. Cuirrent aspects of the project include content analysis of science and biotechnology, and opinion surveys. Data gathering is under way for these studies.

Impacts
(N/A)

Publications

  • Nisbet, M., Scheufele, D., Shanahan, J., Moy, P. & Brossard, D. 2002. Knowledge, reservations, or promise? A media effects model for public perceptions of science and technology. Communication Research, 584-608.