Framing Emerging Technologies: Risk Perceptions of Nanotechnology in the German Press

Nanotechnology cannot be directly experienced and observed-all that people know about it and their interpretations and opinions are mainly based on information from the mass media. Therefore, this first systematic study of the German media coverage about nanotechnology aims to analyse the media frames of this emerging technology. It comprises a standardized content analysis of nine print media from 2000 to 2008, which shows that the German media framing is predominantly very positive, specifically emphasizing the medical and economic benefits of nanotechnology. There is hardly any critical coverage opposing this one-sided perspective of progress. This result corresponds to the international media coverage.