From Revered to Reviled

Abstract

A South Korean scientist who claimed to clone the first human embryos went from national hero to international disgrace in 23 months after his research proved to have been falsified. Guided by narrative theory, this cross-cultural narrative analysis examines news coverage of key milestones in the scandal in The New York Times and Chosunilbo, South Korea's largest newspaper. Significant disparities are found in the way the narratives are told in the two newspapers due to cultural, social, political, and religious differences between the two countries. The analysis provides an interpretive perspective of the way in which narrative helps construct the social reality of stem cell research in two distinct societies.