Genetic engineering in the international media: An analysis of opinion-leading magazines

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse systematically the public opinion-leading press coverage of the application of genetic engineering in a comparative perspective. This article presents the results of an international analysis of the public debate about genetic engineering from 1991 to 1996 in Germany, France, the UK and the USA. The results show that in reporting genetic engineering across national borders, routine and time-tested mechanisams for the management of conflicts in this area have been established. Contradicting a widespread assumption, scientific input into the public discourse is far away from being ignored. In fact it dominates the public area in a way that no other actor does. The study shows that especially the coverage of the topic by the German media does not deserve its bad reputation. Its typical feature is rather normality in the sense of a critical benefit-orientation. Especially the German opinion-leading media (Spiegal, Zeit) reflect transnational developments from multiple perspectives and enigmatically.