Biotechnology in the public eye, 1973-1994: A content analysis of 'Time', 'Newsweek' and 'U.S. News & World Report'

A content analysis of three news magazines was conducted to assess coverage of biotechnology from 1973 through 1994, a period of controversy and growth for this form of science. Coverage was figured by analyzing all biotechnology articles during the 21-year period in the magazines as listed in the Index to Periodical Literature. Content was coded according to 22 coding questions that inquired as to length, topics, sources and beneficial, detrimental or balanced-neutral assertions.;These data reveal the continued presence of biotechnology in the top news magazines. Of the three magazines, U.S. News & World Report increased coverage through time, while Newsweek and Time slightly decreased coverage. Scientific and medical topics dominated all other biotechnology topics. Industrial sources spoke most often, and agricultural sources were clearly absent.;Although a notable amount of coverage was non-judgmental, coverage was found to be more positive than negative through time.