Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021
Misinformation is a serious problem in scientific debates ranging from climate change to vaccines to nuclear power. In this study we quantitatively assess the phenomenon of misinformation – defined as information which is at variance with widely-accepted scientific consensus – on genetically modifie...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | GM Crops & Food |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2022.2140568 |
| _version_ | 1811191348312670208 |
|---|---|
| author | Mark Lynas Jordan Adams Joan Conrow |
| author_facet | Mark Lynas Jordan Adams Joan Conrow |
| author_sort | Mark Lynas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Misinformation is a serious problem in scientific debates ranging from climate change to vaccines to nuclear power. In this study we quantitatively assess the phenomenon of misinformation – defined as information which is at variance with widely-accepted scientific consensus – on genetically modified crops and food (“GMOs”) in the mainstream and online news media over a two-year period. We found an overall falsehood rate of 9% with a potential readership of 256 million. None of the misinformation was positive in sentiment; most was negative. About a fifth of Africa’s media coverage on GMOs contained misinformation, a worrying finding given the potential for genetic engineering to deliver improved nutrition and food security in the continent. We conclude that misinformation about GMOs in the mainstream media is still a significant problem, and outranks the proportion of misinformation in other comparable debates such as COVID-19 and vaccines. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:03:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-67db3a5f765b450789258125a6925652 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2164-5698 2164-5701 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:03:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GM Crops & Food |
| spelling | doaj.art-67db3a5f765b450789258125a69256522022-12-22T04:16:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGM Crops & Food2164-56982164-57012022-11-0111010.1080/21645698.2022.2140568Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021Mark Lynas0Jordan Adams1Joan Conrow2The Alliance for Science, The Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York, USACision Global Insights, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAThe Alliance for Science, The Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York, USAMisinformation is a serious problem in scientific debates ranging from climate change to vaccines to nuclear power. In this study we quantitatively assess the phenomenon of misinformation – defined as information which is at variance with widely-accepted scientific consensus – on genetically modified crops and food (“GMOs”) in the mainstream and online news media over a two-year period. We found an overall falsehood rate of 9% with a potential readership of 256 million. None of the misinformation was positive in sentiment; most was negative. About a fifth of Africa’s media coverage on GMOs contained misinformation, a worrying finding given the potential for genetic engineering to deliver improved nutrition and food security in the continent. We conclude that misinformation about GMOs in the mainstream media is still a significant problem, and outranks the proportion of misinformation in other comparable debates such as COVID-19 and vaccines.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2022.2140568Biotechnologygenetic engineeringgenetic modificationGMOmedia analysismedia coverage |
| spellingShingle | Mark Lynas Jordan Adams Joan Conrow Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021 GM Crops & Food Biotechnology genetic engineering genetic modification GMO media analysis media coverage |
| title | Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021 |
| title_full | Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021 |
| title_fullStr | Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021 |
| title_short | Misinformation in the media: global coverage of GMOs 2019-2021 |
| title_sort | misinformation in the media global coverage of gmos 2019 2021 |
| topic | Biotechnology genetic engineering genetic modification GMO media analysis media coverage |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2022.2140568 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marklynas misinformationinthemediaglobalcoverageofgmos20192021 AT jordanadams misinformationinthemediaglobalcoverageofgmos20192021 AT joanconrow misinformationinthemediaglobalcoverageofgmos20192021 |