Content Analysis of New York Times Coverage of Space Issues for the Year 2000

Abstract

Human activities in space have changed and grown significantly in magnitude and complexity over the past several years, prompting an investigation of the extent to which media coverage reflects the current state of the space arena. This study provides overviews of recent developments in the space arena and of previous research on space coverage. A content analysis was conducted of all space-related stories and editorials found in the New York Times during the time period 1 January to 31 December 2000.The study characterizes New York Times coverage of the main elements of the space arena (civil, commercial, national security, and the associated legal/regulatory issues) during that time period and discusses some implications of this coverage.