A Grain of Truth: The Media, the Public, and Biotechnology

(Paperback)

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A Grain of Truth debunks the myth that growing public distrust of genetically modified organisms can be attributed to scientific illiteracy or sensationalistic news stories. Media coverage of these issues has been dominated by the spokespersons of industry_yet evidence of consumer uncertainty has been available all along. The roots of the controversy are visible in press coverage and public opinion polls over the past decade, covering everything from the manufacture of growth hormones used in dairy cows through the cloning of Dolly the sheep to the appearance of the so-called 'terminator gene.' Arguing neither for nor against genetic engineering and other forms of biotechnology, this book charges both media and industry with ignoring the concerns of the general public and encourages greater public debate over biotech and other such complex issues.

Reviews

"Susanna Hornig Priest presents a dispassionate and well-argued analysis of the notable contrast between the United States and Europe in the public reception of modern biotechnologies. This significant and important book will be of interest to many audiences concerned with the relations among science, the media, and public opinion in contemporary society." - George Gaskell, London School of Economics

Author Bio

Susanna Hornig Priest is associate professor of journalism at Texas A&M University.