XVI International Botanical Congess

The mass media are one of the few forums we have for public discussions of ethical and risk issues associated with technology, including biotechnology. Deficit model assumptions about science literacy and the privileging of stakeholder institution perspectives are probably more substantial barriers to effective science communication than accuracy issues per se. Norms of professional practice and background assumptions from the general culture are also important. Media coverage of controversies in agricultural biotechnology - from BST to clones to terminator genes - illustrates these points and is part of what defines the communication and opinion environment in which future developments will be understood. In this process, some voices are legitimized and others discounted, and some issues receive enormous amounts of attention while others are ignored.