Representing Gene-Editing in Newspapers

Between Science Dissemination and Fantasy

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.