GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetically Modified Organisms

Media Influence on GMOs

Genetic engineering is a comparatively new advancement in the field of science and technology and not many people are aware about the details of the new notion. In this regard, Media has always played a crucial role in shaping the public opinion either positive or negative in such cases where public awareness is low. It is anticipated that media presentations will have some upshots on the public opinion (Ten Eyck, 2005). It has been observed that widespread media reporting can contribute to discriminating perceptions of hazards (Curtis et al., 2004) which are not good if the technology calls for successfully adoption by a country. Numerous studies and analysis have been carried out over the years to expose an association amid what the media coverage exhibits and what is actually perceived about GMO. In the words of former President of United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, “Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.”

GMOs are negatively perceived in Europe. Till the last decade of the 20th century, debate about biotechnology was limited to minor circles like members of parliament or more importantly scientists. A strong resistance to GMOs commenced in Europe in the late 1990s with the introduction of transgenic seeds imported from the USA in 1996. Cases of mad cow's disease, Bt corn, and asbestos along with the newly introduced of Genetically modified seeds were enormously broadcasted by the media causing general public to turn out to be suspicious of concerned authority. Concerns of technological risks, deterrence and management rapidly became a topic of argument, particularly in food and agricultural sector. The media assumed a decisive take on the matter. Widespread media reporting about GMOs paved the way to an unfavorable risk perception by the general public (Gaskell et al., 1999). Societies and Associations emerged to fight genetically modified organisms. It culminated a lot of panic and hype among the people through mass distribution of warnings and alerts, leaflets and petitions (Bonny, 2003). Internet and other communication technologies played an important function in dispersion the remarks against GMOs. The media served a essential role by broadcasting a lot about the functioning of the lobbies working against GMO. Soon before the new century, many journalists and news correspondants happened to be progressively more againstd to GMOs (Bonny, 2003). From the 1980s, this was poles apart when there were a small number of editorials and commentary accounted about GMOs and many of such commentary came from scientific correspondents who were much more conscious about the genetics technology and predicted it as a hopeful novelty. Leading news channels and newspapers initiated competing for interest by putting up scandalous and shocking headlines in opposition to GMOs. Scientists were partly or incorrectly quoted in reports or interviews. Views stated by scientists tend to be intricate and understated while those articulated by anti-GMO groups are easy and attracting attention -'GMOs are hazardous, they must be ...