Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Cloning is a topic that has long fascinated people. It has imbedded
itself into popular culture, but studies show that the general public has, at best, only a
vague understanding of what cloning entails. Alternatively, their perception has been
skewed by that very same popular culture. However, cloning is a complex scientific
subject that has considerable ethical implications. It is the kind of topic that people in
a deliberate democracy should know about. The media play an important role in the
education of the public with regards to science and technology. However, the media
have the potential to do more than provide the basic facts. In fact, the media can play
an important role in influencing the actions and opinions of the public. It is therefore a
responsibility of the media to provide accurate information on scientific
developments, such as cloning.
Objective: An analysis of three daily newspapers in the Western Cape was carried
out to determine how cloning is reported. The broad topics addressed were whether
the coverage focused on the ethical or scientific aspects of cloning, if the subject was
reported in a positive or negative tone, and whether the science of cloning was
adequately explained.
Methodology: A quantitative content analysis was completed of a sample of 69
articles. These articles were all those relating to cloning that appeared in three daily
newspapers (Cape Argus, Cape Times and Die Burger) over a period of one year
from 10 November 2002 to 10 November 2003.
Findings: Of all the articles analysed 34% focused on the scientific aspects, 21%
focused on the ethical aspects, 6% focused on both ethics and science, while 39%
focused on neither. Fifty two percent of articles dealing specifically with animal
cloning focused on the science, while only 4% focused on the ethics. However, in
articles dealing specifically with human cloning, more (30%) emphasised ethical
aspects than scientific aspects (20%). With regards to tone of coverage, 32% of all
the articles analysed were positive, 28% negative, and 40% neutral. Sixty percent of
articles dealing specifically with animal cloning featured a positive tone, while only
13% of articles exclusively about human cloning had a positive tone. This 13% was
comprised of articles on therapeutic rather than reproductive cloning. In terms of
explaining the science associated with cloning, only 30% of articles provided an explicit explanation. Potential threats to the accuracy of explaining science were
found to exist.
Conclusions: While the overall findings were somewhat indistinct it seemed that
when the media of the Western Cape reported on the cloning of animals it was done
with a positive tone and emphasised the scientific aspects. Reporting on human
cloning tended to feature a negative tone and emphasised the ethical aspects. The
large number of ‘neutral’ results for both the ‘tone’ and 'science or ethics’ variables
could indicate that the media were wishing to remain neutral. However, the large
number of neutral articles relating to the ‘science or ethics’ variable could have a
negative impact on public understanding. The small number of articles explaining
cloning and an emphasis on ‘breakthrough’ news stories could also have a negative
impact on public understanding. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Kloning is ‘n onderwerp wat die mensdom lank interesseer. Maar selfs
al vorm kloning ‘n deel van ons populere kultuur, wys navorsing dat die groot publiek
maar vaagweg verstaan wat die onderwerp behels. Dit is ook moontlik dat hul
persepsie negatief bemvloed is deur dieselfde populere kultuur. Maar kloning is ‘n
komplekse wetenskaplike onderwerp met aansienlike etiese gevolgtrekkings. Dit is ‘n
onderwerp waarvan mense in ‘n demokratiese samelewing moet weet. Die media
speel ‘n belangrike rol in die groot publiek se opleiding in wetenskap. Maar die media
het die potensiaal om meer te doen as net die basiese feite deur te gee. Die media
het die potensiaal om die gedrag en menings van die publiek te beTnvloed. Daarom is
dit die verantwoordelikheid van die media om akkurate inligting oor wetenskaplike
ontwikkelings, soos kloning, te voorsien.
Dolewit: Drie daaglikse koerante in die Weskaap is geanaliseer om te bepaal hoe
kloning gedek word. Daar is bepaal of die artikels op die etiese of wetenskaplike
aspekte van kloning fokus, of die onderwerp in ‘n positiewe of negatiewe toon gedek
is, en of die wetenskaplike aspekte doeltreffend verduidelik is.
Metode: ‘n Kwantitatiewe inhoudsanalise van 69 artikels is voltooi. Die
geanaliseerde artikels is al die oor kloning wat in drie daaglikse koerante (Cape
Argus, Cape Times en Die Burger) tussen 10 November 2002 en 10 November 2003
verskyn het.
Bevindinge: Van die artikels het 34% net op die wetenskaplike aspekte van kloning
gefokus, 21% net op die etiese aspekte, en 6% op beide etiek en wetenskap. Geen
van die twee aspekte is in 39% van artikels beklemtoon nie. Van die artikels wat
spesifiek oor dierkloning geskryf is, het 52% op die wetenskaplike aspekte gefokus.
Net 4% het op die etiese aspekte gefokus. In die geval van artikels oor die kloning
van mense, het meer (30%) die etiese aspekte as die wetenskaplike aspekte (20%)
beklemtoon. Met betrekking tot die toon, was 32% van al die artikels positief, 28%
negatief, en 40% neutraal. In die geval van artikels uitsluitlik oor dierkloning het 60%
‘n positiewe toon gedui, terwyl net 13% van artikels oor menslike kloning in ‘n
positiewe toon geskryf was. Die 13% het bestaan uit artikels oor terapeutiese
kloning. Geen artikels oor reproduktiewe kloning was met ‘n positiewe toon geskryf
nie. Net 30% van artikels het ‘n uitdruklike verduideliking van die geassosieerde
wetenskap gegee. Daar is moontlike bedreigings tot die akkuraatheid van
wetenskaplike verduidelikings gevind.
Gevolgtrekkings: Die algemene bevindinge is ietwat onduidelik maar dit blyk dat die
daaglikse koerante van die Weskaap ‘n positiewe toon in hul dekking van dierkloning
gebruik het. Die wetenskaplike aspekte van dierkloning was in die artikels
beklemtoon. Berigte oor menskloning was in ‘n negatiewe toon geskryf en het die
etiese aspekte daarvan beklemtoon. Die groot hoeveelheid ‘neutraal’ resultate vir die
‘toon’ en ‘wetenskap of etiek’ veranderlikes dui moontlik dat die media probeer het
om neutraal te bly in hul dekking. Die groot hoeveelheid ‘neutraal’ artikels vir die
‘wetenskap of etiek’ veranderlike kan dalk ‘n negatiewe invloed op publieke begrip
van kloning he. Die klein hoeveelheid artikels wat kloning verduidelik, en ‘n klem op
‘deurbraak’ nuusstories kan ook dalk ‘n negatiewe invloed op publieke begrip he.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49885 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Van der Linden, Cornelis Albert |
| Contributors | Claassen, George, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | viii, 61 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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