Reporters see indifference on genetically modified food
Newspaper readers are indifferent to genetically modified (GM) food, according to a new study in the winter 2008 issue of Newspaper Research Journal.
Researchers interviewed 16 reporters who cover issues relating to GM food at newspapers across the country. The reporters said their readers didn’t understand genetically modified food, and so public opposition to GM food is minimal.
In reality, most consumers buy GM food. According to the study, about 80 percent of foods sold in the U.S. contain genetically modified crops. However, more than three-quarters of Americans said they know very little or nothing at all about GM food.
One of the challenges reporters face in covering GM food issues is maintaining independence when dealing with highly specialized, scientific sources. Science reporters run the risk of not being skeptical enough when they don’t know enough about the topic, according to the authors, Linda Steiner of the University of Maryland and Nora Bird of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The reporters interviewed for this study said they maintained a level of skepticism and independence in their reporting. They also said that they cover GM food less than they wanted to because public interest in reading about GM food is low.
CONTACT: Sandra H. Utt, nrj@newspaperresearchjournal.org, (901) 628-2553
Linda Steiner and Nora Bird, “Reporters See Indifference On Genetically Modified Food,” Newspaper Research Journal, Winter 2008, 29:1
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