Can the portrayal of science in media influence how certain research
and technology is viewed, and accepted, by the general public (e.g., cloning)?
Do you think the portrayal of scientists in the various forms of media influences how society views people in this profession? Why, or why not?

 

Science and Media

            The media serves as a platform where individuals get to interact with loads of information. The nature in which a field or a concept is portrayed in the media has a special impact on the public’s reception of this very concept. Science has been portrayed in the media in numerous ways. It depends on the function of science which has been placed in focus.

           Science is such a broad field and comprises various other branches.  On one hand, science has been portrayed as a source of solutions to some of the problems on earth. For instance, the science of machines has been central in making work easier. This has led to more efficiency in industries and hence improved productivity (Callaway, 2013). At the same time, the media portrays the science of biology and chemistry as a source of solutions to the earth’s deadliest diseases. This form of portrayal in the media has led to positive reception from the members of the public. It has also necessitated more technological research. The core objective, in this case, is to improve the efficiency that can be attached to scientific inventions and innovations.

           On the other hand, science has been portrayed in the media as a potential threat to human existence. For instance, the media reveals that some scientific procedures have been utilized to make deadly viruses and weapons that largely threaten human existence. At the same time, the use of machines has largely been seen as a potential threat to human labor. It is projected that in the next couple of years, many individuals will be unemployed as their place shall have been taken by machines when scientists are portrayed as problem solvers, their works and likely to be positively received in the society. Negative portrayed leads to negative attitudes among the members of society.