This paper examines the media coverage of the 2013 London cultured meat tasting event, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Using major news outlets, prominent magazines covering food and science issues, and advocacy websites concerning meat consumption, the paper characterizes the overall emphases of the coverage, the tenor of the coverage, and compares the media portrayal of the important issues to the demographic and psychological realities of the actual consumer market into which cultured meat will compete. In particular, the paper argues that Western media gives a distorted picture of what obstacles are in the path of cultured meat acceptance, especially by overemphasizing and overrepresenting the importance of the reception of cultured meat among vegetarians. Promoters of cultured meat should recognize the skewed impression that this media coverage provides and pay attention to the demographic data that suggests strict vegetarians are a demographically negligible group. Resources for promoting cultured meat should focus on the empirical demographics of the consumer market and the empirical psychology of mainstream consumers.
Shan, Liran (author), Regan, Aine (author), De Brun, Aoife (author), Barnett, Julie (author), Van der Sanden, Maarten C. A. (author), Wall, Patrick (author), and McConnon, Aine (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2013
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 142 Document Number: D06425
In letter to the editor, Lancet is criticized by a representative of the Biotechnology Industry Organization for placing politics and tabloid sensationalism above its responsibility to report and assess new science.
Eldridge, John (author) and Reilly, Jacquie (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2003
Published:
UK
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D07371
Notes:
Pages 138-155 in Nick Pidgeon, Roger E. Kasperson and Paul Slovic (eds.), The social amplification of risk. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 448 pages.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 141 Document Number: D06167
Notes:
Online from Scopus.com. Abstract of paper presented at joint conference of ESREL (European Safety and Reliability) and SRA-Europe (Society for Risk Analysis Europe)in Valencia, Spain, September 22-25, 2008. 1 page.
Breakwell, Glynis M. (author) and Barnett, Julie (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2003
Published:
UK
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D07369
Notes:
Pages 80-101 in Nick Pidgeon, Roger E. Kasperson and Paul Slovic (eds.), The social amplification of risk. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 448 pages.
