CRISPR Images: Media Use and Public Opinion About Gene Editing

Abstract

As gene editing technologies such as CRISPR have become increasingly prominent, so have media portrayals of them. With this in mind, the present study builds on theoretical accounts of framing effects, cultivation effects, and genre-specific viewing effects to examine how different forms of media use predict attitudes toward applications of gene editing. Specifically, the study tests how news use, overall television viewing, and science fiction viewing are related to such attitudes. The analyses draw on original data from two surveys of the U.S. public, one conducted in 2020 and the other in 2021. The results from both surveys indicate that news use and overall television viewing predict support for uses of gene editing, whereas science fiction viewing is not significantly related to opinion. The findings suggest that media frames and images may carry implications for the trajectory of public opinion about gene editing technologies and, ultimately, the social context for their development and adoption.

Exploring the landscape of public attitudes towards gene-edited foods in Japan

“…The media serves as a bridge between complex scientific concepts and the general public, translating these ideas into more digestible information. A recent study by Dawson et al (2022) offers valuable insights into this issue. They found that favorable media coverage can significantly foster public support for the use of CRISPR.…”

Fictional scenarios, real concerns: science fiction and perceptions of human genome editing

“…Further, one study showed that science fiction programming had almost no association with attitudes on its own, but was associated with television science news use, which in turn was associated with positive attitudes toward science [Brossard & Dudo, 2012]. Another study also showed a nonsignificant relationship between watching science fiction and support for using gene editing [Dawson, Paintsil, Bingaman & Brewer, 2022].…”