Abstract
Research into media representations of science is widespread and well-established in scientifically and technologically highly developed countries. However, very little is known about the characteristics of media reporting of science in transition countries, which are only just beginning to recognize the importance of research into the relationship between science, the media and the public. In this study, using content analysis of the daily newspapers with the largest circulations in Croatia (Jutarnji list and Večernji list) we researched the quantity and quality of media reporting of science. We link them to the characteristics of the Croatian media (tabloidization, the erosion of professional criteria) and the wider social context from which they stem. Our findings have shown poor representation of science news in the daily press as well as a low level of trustworthiness, especially in reporting biomedical news.
Highlights
Recent social constructivist approaches to the media’s presentation of science claim that the media are active participants in the process of construction and communication of knowledge (van Dijck, 2003)
In order to achieve our basic goal, the research was founded on the content analysis of articles about science published in the period between December 31, 2004 and February 28, 20058 in two of the most widely read Croatian daily papers, which are the leading papers of two media corporations: Jutarnji list (EPH) and Večernji list (STYRIA) (MEDIAPuls, 2004.)
The proportion of articles about science in the analysed Croatian daily press correlates to some extent with the findings of foreign studies, where the proportion of scientific topics usually ranged between 1% and 5% (Pellechia, 1997; Dimopoulos & Kouladis, 2002)
Summary
Recent social constructivist approaches to the media’s presentation of science claim that the media (and the public) are active participants in the process of construction and communication of knowledge (van Dijck, 2003). The process of competition and selection of news takes place in the public arena of the media, where journalists and editors assess the newsworthiness of individual news items (Hilgartner & Bosk, 1988). They select and shape the topics and aspects which they perceive as relevant, important or interesting. News are constructed and shaped according to the accepted standards and conventions of the organization in which the journalist works Those standards and conventions are most often quite similar to the culture context in which the media exists (Nelkin, 1995; Lievrouw, et al, 1990, see Dimopoulus & Koulaidis, 2002). The selection and framing of news are socially and culturally conditioned
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