Nanotechnology and News Production Newspaper Article Coding Frame

SPSS Variable 1. Newspaper 2. Daily/Sunday 3. Date Published 4. Page Number 5. Newspaper Section (where available) Main News Story Feature Article Editorial/Comment/Columnist Letter Advertisment Review Business Other length report design npaper npaperd date page section

6. Number of words including headline (where available) 7. Reporter/Author (where available) 8. Reporter/Author Designation (where available) -

Science Editor/Correspondent Health Editor/Correspondent Environment Editor/Correspondent Technology Editor/Correspondent General/Other Academic/Science Writer/Personality/Interest Group key1n key2nt key3gg key4nb typesd

9. Occurrences of keyword Nano 10. Occurrences of keyword Nanotechnology 11. Occurrences of keyword Grey Goo 12. Occurrences of keyword Nanobots/robots 13. Type of source document/s refereed to Research Report/s Film/TV/Computer Programme/Book Adapted from other media

Conference/Scientific Organisation material Journal paper Funding Announcement Other prof1

14. Profession of first source (person) referred to Scientist/ Researcher Official Spokesperson Other medical/scientific expert Religious leader Interested party/personality/academic Politician Business Public/relative/sufferer

15. Profession of Second source (person) referred to As above 16. Profession of Third source (person) referred to As above 17. Profession of Forth source (person) referred to As above 18. Profession of Fifth source (person) referred to As above 19. Source quoted or cited 20. Number of sources (persons) referred to 21. Dominant news frame Scientific Discovery or Project Medical Discovery or Project Prince Charless comments Social Implications and Risks Business Story Funding of Nano Celebratory Education/Careers Science Fiction and Popular Culture Other

prof2

prof3

prof4

prof5

sourceq nosource frame

22. Dominant news tone

tone

Benefits Outweigh Risks Risks Outweigh Benefits Risks/Benefits need to be weighed Technical Limits to progress docu person1 person2 person3 person4 person5 focus

23. Specific source documents referred to 24. Identity of first source quoted (person) 25. Identity of second source quoted (person) 26. Identity of third source quoted (person) 27. Identity of forth source quoted (person) 28. Identity of fifth source quoted (person) 29. Focus of article Nanotechnology as main focus Nanotechnology as secondary focus Nanotechnology mentioned in passing Nanotechnology used as a metaphor/sign/signifier Other

NANOTECHNOLOGIES, NEWS PRODUCTION AND COVERAGE; SCIENTISTS VIEWS

Please answer these questions using the tick boxes and spaces provided.

1) What is your professional title and area of expertise?

2) How long have you been working in areas related to nanoscience or nanotechnologies?

3) Have you read any national newspaper coverage of nanotechnology in the past two years? (Please indicate as appropriate) Yes, I have seen national newspaper coverage of nanotechnologies.

No, I have not seen any national newspaper coverage of nanotechnologies. (If no, please move on to question five) 4) Would you describe newspaper coverage of nanotechnologies and nanoscience as generally? (Please indicate as appropriate) a) Accurate Inaccurate

b) Sensationalised Balanced

c) Detrimental to science Beneficial for science Further comments

5) Have you been approached to become involved with or provide comment for any newspaper coverage of nanotechnologies? (Please indicate as appropriate)

Yes, I have been approached to contribute to newspaper coverage.

No, I have not been approached to contribute to newspaper coverage. (If no, please move on to question nine) 6) Did you go on to contribute to newspaper coverage? (Please indicate as appropriate)

Yes, I have contributed to newspaper coverage.

No, I did not contribute to newspaper coverage. (If no, please move on to question nine) 7) What type/s of newspaper coverage have you been involved with? News Article Feature Article Business Article Education Book Review Other (please state)

8) Have you been generally satisfied with the newspaper coverage you have been involved with? (Please indicate as appropriate and add further comments if necessary) Yes, I was satisfied with the media coverage I was involved with.

No, I was unsatisfied with the media coverage I was involved with.

9) Would any of the following influence your choice NOT to take part in newspaper coverage? (Please indicate as appropriate) The quality of the source it was to be used in (i.e. tabloid or broadsheet newspaper). Practical reasons (i.e. time).

Appearance to professional peers. Concern over misrepresentation/ misunderstanding.

Choice not to become involved in wider debate. Lack of media/public understanding of nanotechnologies.

Other (Please state)

10) What do you think the impact of nanotechnology will be in the next twenty years? (Please tick one or more boxes)

Improve our way of life Have no effect on our way of life Make life worse Depends what it is used for Dont know 11) Finally, we would like to know your views on the following statements which have been extracted from various publications focusing on nanotechnology. Please add some general comments after each statement and/or respond to the questions which follow them.

Media coverage of nanotechnologies has invariably raised the spectre of grey goo a doomsday scenario in which nanoscale robots self-replicate out of control, producing unlimited copies of themselves, consuming all available material and ultimately laying waste to the planet. (The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering. Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties. July 2004 page 109). a) Why do you think terms like Grey Goo or nanoscale robots appear in so many news reports?

b) Where the reporting of nanotechnology is concerned, what sort of responsibilities do journalists have to the public?

Considering past experiences of industry and government mismanagement in this area (notably through GM-related controversy), nano-advocates would do well to sit up and take note. For, although an externally imposed nanotech moratorium seems both unpractical and probably damaging at present, industry may find such a fate virtually self-imposed if they do not take the issue of public acceptance seriously. (Greenpeace. Future Technologies, Todays Choices Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics; A technical, political and institutional map of emerging technologies. July 2003 page 41). c) Do you think nanoscience and nanotechnologies have the potential to generate public concern and media controversy similar to that which surrounded GM crops and food?

d) What impact do you think the coverage of GM food and crops has had on the willingness of scientists to talk to the media?

The latest scare is over the study of nanotechnology - changing and adapting the very atoms and molecules of life. Scientists see it as an opening of nature's toolbox to make new substances and advance things already created - from plants to plastic - by subtly changing their properties. While Tony Blair and Sainsbury have talked up the progress it could bring from medicine to computers, critics, among them the Prince of Wales, fear that Earth could be wiped out by a "grey goo" catastrophe, caused by an explosion of self-replicating minirobots. (Riddell, M. THE SCIENCE MINISTER HITS BACK AT CRITICS. . . AND TELLS PRINCE CHARLES TO STOP MEDDLING; LORD SAINSBURY: MY WORK FOR LABOUR IS VITAL . . . THAT'S WHY I DO IT FOR NO PAY. The Express June 16 2003 p.18.)

e) How influential do you believe Prince Charless views are on news media coverage of nanotechnologies?

f) How much influence do non-governmental organisations and pressure groups have on news stories on nanotechnologies?

g) How much influence do non-governmental organisations and pressure groups have on government policy on nanotechnologies?

The breakthroughoffers the strongest indication yet that it will eventually be possible to build tiny medical "nanosubs" that hunt down tumours and germs before delivering their drugs. Although such a "smart drug" or "doctor in a cell" is decades away, the prospect is considered among the most exciting of all the medical applications of nanotechnology. It would allow doctors to target disease much more precisely and completely than before. (Henderson, M. (2004) A very, very small step to beating the Big C. The Times April 29 2004 p.3.) h) In your view, what is the most helpful way to explain nanotechnologies to the public?

i) How informed do you think the public are about nanotechnologies? Very Informed Informed Dont Know Uninformed Very Uniformed j) Is it realistic for scientists to engage in dialogue with the public about nanotechnologies? Very Realistic Realistic Dont Know Unrealistic Very Unrealistic Are there any other comments you would like to add about news production and coverage of nanotechnologies or this research?

Do you know any other scientists or colleagues who may be interested in taking part in this research?

Thank you for your comments and time.

We will also be carrying out short interviews with some scientists following this questionnaire. Are you interested in being contacted to take part in such an interview? (Please indicate as appropriate) Yes, I would be happy to be contacted to take part in a short interview. No, I would not like to be contacted again. Are you happy for the comments you have made here to be attributed to you? (Please indicate as appropriate) Yes, I am happy to be identified next to my comments in research findings and publications. No, I would like my participation in this research to remain strictly confidential.

NANOTECHNOLOGIES, NEWS PRODUCTION AND COVERAGE; JOURNALISTS VIEWS

Please answer these questions using the tick boxes and spaces provided. 1) What is your job title? (For example; science correspondent, health editor, political correspondent etc.)

2) How long have you been working in areas related to the media?

3) Which publications do you write for?

4) Have you personally written or contributed to articles focusing on nanoscience or nanotechnologies in the past two years? Yes, I have written or contributed to articles focusing on nanoscience or nanotechnologies. No, I have not written or contributed to articles focusing on nanoscience or nanotechnologies. (If no, please move to question six.) 5) If yes, can you give examples of what generated this coverage? (For example; other news coverage, the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering report, the interest of H.R.H. Prince Charles etc.)

6) If you were compiling an article on nanoscience or nanotechnologies NOW, whom would you ideally like to consult as sources from the following list? (Please indicate those sources you would be likely to consult and add further examples of persons you would like to include) Nanotechnologists, scientists or researchers working in Nanotechnology centres. Politicians like Lord David Sainsbury or Dr Ian Gibson. Representatives of scientific bodies like The Royal Society.

Representatives from press offices like The Science Media Centre.

Representatives of pressure groups like The ETC Group.

Industry Representatives Members of the Public. Other (Please state).

7) When researching an item on nanoscience or nanotechnologies what types of documents would you utilise? (For example, papers from scientific or medical journals, popular science magazines like New Scientist, publications from press offices like the Science Media Centre etc.)

8) What do you think the impact of nanotechnology will be in the next twenty years? (Please tick one or more boxes)

Improve our way of life Have no effect on our way of life Make life worse Depends what it is used for Dont know 9) How interested are you personally in nanoscience and nanotechnologies? Very Interested Interested Indifferent Uninterested Very Uninterested 10) Finally, we would like to know your views on the following statements which have been extracted from various publications focusing on nanotechnology. Please add some general comments after each statement and/or respond to the questions which follow them. The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering report Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties (July 2004 page 109) states, Media coverage of nanotechnologies has invariably raised the spectre of grey goo a doomsday scenario in which nanoscale robots self-replicate out of control, producing unlimited copies of themselves, consuming all available material and ultimately laying waste to the planet.

a) Why do you think terms like Grey Goo or nanoscale robots appear in so many news reports?

b) In your view, what is the most helpful way to explain nanotechnologies to the public?

c) Where the reporting of nanotechnology is concerned, what sort of responsibilities do journalists have to the public?

Greenpeace, in their publication Future Technologies, Todays Choices Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics; A technical, political and institutional map of emerging technologies (July 2003 page 41) suggest, Considering past experiences of industry and government mismanagement in this area (notably through GM-related controversy), nano-advocates would do well to sit up and take note. For, although an externally imposed nanotech moratorium seems both unpractical and probably damaging at present, industry may find such a fate virtually self-imposed if they do not take the issue of public acceptance seriously. d) Do you think nanoscience and nanotechnologies have the potential to generate public concern and media controversy similar to that which surrounded GM crops and food?

e) What impact do you think the coverage of GM food and crops has had on the willingness of scientists to talk to the media?

The non-governmental organisation the ETC Group in The Big Down: Atomtech Technologies Converging at the Nano-scale (January 2003 page 77) made the following comments, Grey Goo refers to the obliteration of life that could result from the accidental and uncontrollable spread of self-replicating assemblers. Bill Joy and others have cautioned that the self-replicating miniature robots, though invisible to the human eye, could result in a kind of Grey Goo if their multiplication ever got out of control. Armies of blue goo, or destructive nanomachines, have even been proposed as a law enforcement measure. f) How much influence do non-governmental organisations and pressure groups have on news stories on nanotechnologies?

g) How much influence do non-governmental organisations and pressure groups have on government policy on nanotechnologies?

Professor Mark Welland, in an article in The Financial Times (Dont be afraid of the grey goo April 30th 2003) said, Grey goo, nanobots, a moratorium on nanotechnology: it seems that science fiction has displaced science fact. The recent concerns voiced by Prince Charles over the societal implications of nanotechnology, combined with comparisons to the debate over genetically modified food, make uncomfortable reading for those of us engaged in nanotechnology research. h) How influential do you believe Prince Charless views are on news media coverage of nanotechnologies?

i) How informed do you think members of the public are about nanotechnologies? Very Informed Informed Dont Know Uninformed Very Uniformed j) Is it realistic for scientists to engage in dialogue with members of the public about nanotechnologies? Very Realistic Realistic Dont Know Unrealistic Very Unrealistic Are there any other comments you would like to add about news production and coverage of nanotechnologies or this research?

Thank you for your comments and time. We will also be carrying out short interviews with some journalists following this questionnaire. Are you interested in being contacted to take part in such an interview? (Please indicate as appropriate) Yes, I would be happy to be contacted to take part in a short interview. No, I would not like to be contacted again. Are you happy for the comments you have made here to be attributed to you? (Please indicate as appropriate)

Yes, I am happy to be identified next to my comments in research findings and publications. No, I would like my participation in this research to remain strictly confidential.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET: Taking Part in an Interview

THE RESEARCH TITLE - NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NEWS PRODUCTION: SCIENTISTS,

JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS VIEWS

THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH - The aim of this research is to advance knowledge and understanding of the production and coverage of news about nanotechnology. It will ascertain how journalists, editors and scientists respectively, see their roles in the production and coverage of news about nanotechnology and medicine, and what they identify as the key factors affecting the nature of news reporting. WHO IS ORGANISING THE STUDY? The study has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and involves Dr Stuart Allan, School of Cultural Studies, University of the West of England Bristol, Dr Alison Anderson and Professor Alan Petersen based at the School of Sociology, Politics and Law, University of Plymouth. The project also involves an Advisory Committee comprising seven representatives of relevant user groups and scholars of international standing. The study is being carried out between March 2004 and August 2005, but your participation will not be required after this interview. WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE INTERVIEW? The interview will last for approximately fortyfive minutes and you will be asked for your views regarding a number of issues related to media coverage of nanotechnology. You may refrain from answering any questions, withdraw prior comments, or end the interview at any time without giving the researcher your reasons for this. CONFIDENTIALITY The researchers will be the only people with access to the information you provide. The information will remain strictly confidential and the data which contributes to publications or research findings will not identify participants unless explicit permission is granted. If you would like to see the results of the research there will be the opportunity for you to do so upon request. If you have any further queries please contact Clare Wilkinson at any time by email, C.E.Wilkinson@plymouth.ac.uk or by telephone on 01752 233236. Alternatively postal enquiries can be sent to, Clare Wilkinson School of Sociology, Politics and Law University of Plymouth Drake Circus Plymouth PL4 8AA If you are happy to take part in an interview please now complete the form attached. Thank you for taking part in this research. 06/10/04

Interview Consent Form

Title of Project: NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NEWS PRODUCTION: SCIENTISTS, JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS VIEWS Name of Researcher: Clare Wilkinson

I confirm that I have read and understood the Participant Information Sheet Taking Part in an Interview dated 06/10/04 for the above research.

I understand that I am voluntarily taking part in this research and free to withdraw at any time.

I agree to take part in an interview for the above study. I would like my identity to remain strictly confidential. I give consent for my identity to accompany my comments in the dissemination of the research project.

Name of Interviewee ... Signature Date

Name of Researcher

Clare Wilkinson

Signature Date

Please fill in your name, signature and date on both copies of this consent form. Also indicate if you would like your identity to remain confidential or to accompany your comments. Return one copy to me at the interview, and keep one copy for yourself. Thank you.