Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022
While the construction of collective promises is vital to the success of any techno-scientific innovation, it also entails the risk of overpromising and cycles of hype and disappointment. This article explores the discursive construction of the nuclear sector’s latest promise concerning small modul...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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oekom verlag GmbH
2023-12-01
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| Series: | TATuP – Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tatup.de/index.php/tatup/article/view/7081 |
| _version_ | 1797392596686864384 |
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| author | Mika Kari Markku Lehtonen Tapio Litmanen Matti Kojo |
| author_facet | Mika Kari Markku Lehtonen Tapio Litmanen Matti Kojo |
| author_sort | Mika Kari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
While the construction of collective promises is vital to the success of any techno-scientific innovation, it also entails the risk of overpromising and cycles of hype and disappointment. This article explores the discursive construction of the nuclear sector’s latest promise concerning small modular reactors (SMRs), using Finland as an example. It provides a brief overview of the Finnish context of SMR development and analyzes it's coverage in the leading Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat 2000–2022. Efforts at promise construction have so far been aimed at building legitimacy for SMRs, while strengthening credibility – another key element of successful promise construction – has only just begun. The increasing number of SMR-related articles indicates a growing hype, but the absence of a corresponding ‘hype language’ suggests that the considerable media attention does not automatically translate into emphatic media coverage and discursive hyping.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:49:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5404fa63d9534d76bbf10dc9b44fda1e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2568-020X 2567-8833 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:49:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | oekom verlag GmbH |
| record_format | Article |
| series | TATuP – Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis |
| spelling | doaj.art-5404fa63d9534d76bbf10dc9b44fda1e2023-12-13T12:11:59Zdeuoekom verlag GmbHTATuP – Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis2568-020X2567-88332023-12-0132310.14512/tatup.32.3.41Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022Mika Kari0Markku Lehtonen1Tapio Litmanen2Matti Kojo3University of Jyväskylä, JyväskyläPompeu Fabra University, BarcelonaUniversity of Jyväskylä, JyväskyläLUT University, Lappeenranta; Tampere University, Tampere While the construction of collective promises is vital to the success of any techno-scientific innovation, it also entails the risk of overpromising and cycles of hype and disappointment. This article explores the discursive construction of the nuclear sector’s latest promise concerning small modular reactors (SMRs), using Finland as an example. It provides a brief overview of the Finnish context of SMR development and analyzes it's coverage in the leading Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat 2000–2022. Efforts at promise construction have so far been aimed at building legitimacy for SMRs, while strengthening credibility – another key element of successful promise construction – has only just begun. The increasing number of SMR-related articles indicates a growing hype, but the absence of a corresponding ‘hype language’ suggests that the considerable media attention does not automatically translate into emphatic media coverage and discursive hyping. https://www.tatup.de/index.php/tatup/article/view/7081techno-scientific promisesmedia analysishype cyclenuclear energysmall modular reactors |
| spellingShingle | Mika Kari Markku Lehtonen Tapio Litmanen Matti Kojo Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022 TATuP – Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis techno-scientific promises media analysis hype cycle nuclear energy small modular reactors |
| title | Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022 |
| title_full | Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022 |
| title_fullStr | Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022 |
| title_short | Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022 |
| title_sort | technology hype promises and expectations the discussion on small modular reactors in the finnish newspaper helsingin sanomat in 2000 2022 |
| topic | techno-scientific promises media analysis hype cycle nuclear energy small modular reactors |
| url | https://www.tatup.de/index.php/tatup/article/view/7081 |
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