Scientific sensationalism in American and British press coverage of therapeutic cloning

This study examines the production and content of press coverage of therapeutic cloning in the United States and Britain. The sample includes 5,128 news articles, as well as qualitative interviews with journalists who covered this science story. This article identifies variations in the valence, relative distribution, and quality of the hype found across the US, UK tabloid, and elite UK press samples. A dialectic of hope and fear is identified in the sampled press content and explained by the journalist interviews. Moreover, scientific hype emerges from the shared economic imperatives and concomitant news values defining American and British journalism