The landscape of online news regarding genetically modified foods: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background There has been substantial debate surrounding the use of genetically modified foods (GMFs). Aim The purpose of this study was to describe the content of news articles covering GMFs. Methods A search was completed on Google News using the key words “genetically modified foods” and the resulting 100 English-language news articles were analyzed for content. Results Only 26% of the articles analyzed were from professional or government sources. Among all content categories, definition or explanation of GMFs with a featured product as an example had the highest coverage, being addressed in 74% of the sample. Identification of GMFs from food labels (p = .001), was significantly associated with the source of the article (p > .05). Conclusions Opportunities exist for scientists, educators, and health experts to present evidence-based and science-based information, with a balanced emphasis on the risks and benefits of GMFs to help consumers to make well-informed choices.

What do popular YouTube videos say about genetically modified foods? A content analysis

“…The methodology for this study was adapted from a recent study analyzing the coverage of Genetically Modified Foods on Google News [ 13 ]. In this cross-sectional study, the search term “genetically modified foods” was used on YouTube™ to identify 100 videos in the English language with the highest viewership.…”