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Opening the black box: scientists’ views on the role of the news media in the nanotechnology debate

Sociology, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, alan.petersen{at}arts.monash.edu.au

Alison Anderson

Sociology, School of Law and Social Science, University of Plymouth

Stuart Allan

Bournemouth University, UK

Clare Wilkinson

Science Communication Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol

Increasingly, scientists and policy makers have come to recognize that if nanotechnologies are to achieve wide public acceptance, it is essential to engage publics during the early phase of technology development. The media, situated at the interface between scientists and lay publics, possess the potential to play a significant role in public engagement in this field. This article, drawing on data from a recent survey and interview-based study, examines how scientists perceive and evaluate the production and coverage of news on nanotechnologies. Scientists acknowledged the significance of the media in shaping public perceptions of nanotechnologies and saw a role for the media in public engagement efforts. Most had criticisms of media coverage and offered suggestions as to how it could be improved. However, their comments often revealed a one-dimensional conception of science mediation that overlooked the influence of their own claims. Any efforts to enrich public dialogue about nanotechnologies must endeavor to advance understanding among scientists about the operations of the media and their own role in news production.

This version was published on September 1, 2009

Public Understanding of Science, Vol. 18, No. 5, 512-530 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0963662507084202


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