La biotecnología y los medios de comunicación en España

Abstract

In general terms, Spaniards show more optimistic and favourable attitudes towards biotechnology than the average of European citizens, although their attitude is of greater distrust and disagreement, when dealing with specific applications. In any case, the level of information and implication of Spaniards in the public debate on scientific and technological subjects seems to be traditionally low. Nevertheless, analysing the presence of biotechnology in the electronic archives of two national newspapers (El Mundo and El País) and of the state news agency EFE, in the last eight years, we have verified that many of the most relevant biotechnological applications have not gone unnoticed in the media agenda. The presence of biotechnology in the media has tripled in eight years and biotechnology is now a daily interest subject. This allows us to foresee an undergoing deep maturation of Spaniards' biotechnological culture and that this process will probably lead to a greater polarization of their opinions and attitudes on biotechnological controversial issues.