Newspaper Coverage Of Agricultural Biotechnology: A Content Analysis Of The Daily Graphic And The Public Agenda Newspapers

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess the coverage of agricultural biotechnology by the Daily Graphic and Public Agenda newspapers in the years 2013 and 2014. Agricultural biotechnology which is linked to genetic modified foods (GM foods) is a controversial topic worldwide also subject to media framing. The main objectives of this study, therefore, were to investigate the dominant frames employed in the coverage of agricultural biotechnology, the sources most cited in such coverage and the dominant tones occurring in the selected press‘ publications of agricultural biotechnology. A content analysis was carried out in order to meet the objectives of this study. In all, a total of 96 stories on agricultural biotechnology were retrieved following a census conducted on all 2013 and 2014 stories of the two newspapers under study. There were 58 and 38 stories from the Daily Graphic and Public Agenda respectively. Findings of this study indicate that while certain events seemed to necessitate coverage, the legal and economic development/prospects frames were the most dominant from the Public Agenda and Daily Graphic respectively. While the Daily Graphic tended to highlight the economic benefits to be derived from this technology, the Public Agenda often advocated for a moratorium on efforts to legalise biotechnology. Additionally, there were opposing narratives in the two newspapers found between expert sources (usually scientists) and movements (often representing civil society organisations). While the Public Agenda largely covered the technology in negative tones, the Daily Graphic appeared nearly balanced in tones its coverage of the technology though it recorded a slightly higher score for negative tones as compared to positive tones