| Title |
: Media Cultures and the Representation of Science in Korea and the United States: The BSE Case in 2008 |
| Date |
: 2017.06 |
| Journal title |
: EASTS: An International Journal 11(3): 331-352 |
| Author |
: Hee-Je Bak and Daniel L. Kleinman |
| Contact us |
: csts@khu.ac.kr |
| Abstract |
: In 2008 the Korean government decided to resume importing US beef,
leading to a nationwide controversy over the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), or mad cow disease. Korean media coverage of BSE during this controversy
demonstrates how media reporting on scientific matters interacts with political
controversy over science-related risks. In Korea, where media organizations tend to be
associated with particular political ideologies, the media emphasized the uncertainty
of scientific accounts in the BSE case and reinforced the politicization of science by
selectively mobilizing contrasting scientific claims and scientific authorities based on
each media outlet’s political position. The distinctive role of such a media culture in
the science-related political discourse is further highlighted when we consider US
media coverage of BSE risk during the same period: in that coverage, the baseline
technical risk-related issues were taken for granted and the BSE controversy in Korea
was presented largely as a trade issue. |
|
HOME > ACTIVITIES & OUTPUT > PUBLICATIONS
