Quantitative Frame Analysis of How the Gene Concept Is Presented in Tabloid and Elite Newspapers

Abstract

Tabloid and elite newspapers differ in journalistic style and address different socioeconomic segments of society. Few studies have systematically investigated how these differences influence science communication, and the issue of genetics is particularly relevant. In this study, we performed a quantitative frame analysis of genetic discourse in 12 national newspapers that address different audiences. We found that tabloid and elite newspapers use different frames when communicating the gene concept. The differences were related to the use of expert writers and choice of topics, and we discuss how framing of the gene concept is related to the newspapers’ editorial profiles.