STAR among major sources of biotech info

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines  – The STAR has been cited as one of the major sources of information on biotechnology.

This was determined in a study that delved on the level and nature of media attention given to agricultural biotechnology in the country in over a decade. The study specifically sought to determine news sources, tone, and use of keywords, prominent media frame, and metaphors.

Titled “Print Media Reportage of Agricultural Biotechnology in the Philippines A Decade’s (2000-2009) Analysis Coverage and Framing”, the study was conducted by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) and Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture-Biotechnology Information Center (SEARCA-BIC).

The study was conducted by Dr. Marichelle Navarro, Jenny Panopio and Donna Bae Malayang of ISAAA and SEARCA-BIC.

During the 2000-2009 period, 1,355 articles on modern crop biotechno-logy, or a yearly average of 136, were published in the three newspapers (The STAR, Manila Bulletin, and Philippine Daily Inquirer) covered by the ISAAA/SEARCA-BIC study.

Some landed on the front pages. Those included news about Golden Rice, government approval of genetically modified (GM) corn, protest about Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn, and farmer testimonies in favor of biotech crops.

The majority of the articles published by the three newspapers were positive (41.3 percent) and neutral (38.2 percent) in tone. Most of these articles dwelt on the benefits of the technology, potential scenarios for the technology, and support from the government and the science community.

Only 19.8 percent had a negative perspective, tending to focus on health issues such as the technology allegedly causing sickness, cancer, and even mental retardation, baldness, and homosexuality.

Summing up, the study observes that during a decade of biotech journalism, the Philippine media showed maturity in its reporting over time. This was shown by the trend toward positive to neutral stories, preference for institutional sources of information, and a shift from sensational to balanced coverage.