6533b836fe1ef96bd12a148a
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Framing disease, ageing and death in popular science journalism
Katarzyna Molek-kozakowskasubject
Linguistics and Languageframingkeyness analysisNew ScientistLiterature and Literary Theory05 social sciencesMedia studies050801 communication & media studiesDisease050905 science studiesLanguage and Linguisticshealth-related news articles0508 media and communicationsFraming (social sciences)JournalismSociology0509 other social sciencesSocial sciencePopular sciencepopular science journalismdescription
This paper characterizes the dominant frames in popular science-oriented reports devoted to disease, ageing and death. In popular science journalism, framing often consists in the discursive construction of newsworthiness, i.e., foregrounding features of events/issues considered by science editors to be relevant or attractive for audiences, despite the alienating nature of some types of news. A sample of most-read health-related articles from New Scientist (2013-2015) is subjected to content analysis, keyness analysis, concordance analysis and news value analysis to demonstrate how bioscience tends to be framed through consistent and strategic linguistic choices. The analyses reveal that most frames for disease, ageing and death in popular science coverage work as vehicles for the celebration of medical science as a domain of reporting, and thus forward the media outlet’s market-driven agenda rather than discuss the deeper implications of bioscientific findings.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-01-01 | Brno Studies in English |