What recipients ask for: An analysis of ‘user question generated’ science coverage

Abstract

This article analyses the potential of ‘user question generated content’ related to science coverage with the aim of rethinking editorial selection in science journalism. The analysis builds partly on a previous paper which proposed a modified theory of news values for science journalism. The present article is based on a differentiated content analysis of 6528 user-generated questions 1 to science editors in three German media (print, radio and television) with different target groups with respect to age, educational background and gender. A total of 3530 questions could be assigned to different scientific categories. Comparing the most popular categories with the most popular topics found in classical content analyses of science coverage, some important differences were found. In the conclusion, the potential of such audience-oriented surveys for the further development of science journalism in the digital age is discussed.