A comparative analysis of media reporting of perceived risks and benefits of genetically modified crops and foods in Kenyan and international newspapers

    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    DeRosier, Christopher (author), Sulemana, Iddisah (author), James, Harvey S. Jr. (author), Valdivia, Corinne (author), Folk, William (author), and Smith, Randall D. (author)
    Format:
    Online journal article
    Publication Date:
    2015
    URL:
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662514568061
    Published:
    SAGE Journals
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10599
    Journal Title:
    Public Understanding of Science
    Journal Title Details:
    24(5), 563–581
    Subject Term:
    biotechnology, food security, information sources, media, newspapers, public attitudes, reporting, risk communication, genetic engineering, food issues, and Kenya (Africa, Eastern)
    Notes:
    19 pages., via online journal., We empirically examine the reporting on biotechnology in Kenyan and international newspapers between 2010 and early 2014. We identify news articles that reported on biotechnology and analyze their use of words to determine whether there is a balance in the reporting of perceived risks and benefits. We also consider how the sources used in news articles and how the publication of the Séralini study of rats fed genetically modified maize affect the balance of reporting of perceived risks and benefits. We find that in Kenyan news reporting, more articles mention perceived benefits than risks, but when risks are mentioned, new articles contain more references to risks than to benefits. We also find that sources affect the reporting of perceived risks and benefits and that the Séralini study increased the likelihood that perceived risks are reported in Kenyan news reporting, but not in international newspapers.

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