The Representation of Graphene in the Online Press of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain

Authors

  • Blanca Guasch ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering
  • Sergi Cortiñas Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  • Marta González ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering
  • Santiago Justel-Vázquez International University of Catalonia
  • Javier Peña ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering

Keywords:

graphene, science and the media, science communication, popularization of science and technology, representations of science and technology, communication of graphene, online press analysis

Abstract

Graphene is the first two-dimensional material discovered by humans. It was isolated for the first time in 2004 and is being established as a revolutionary material for the 21st century. This study presents an analysis of the quantitative and qualitative contents from all news about graphene published online in The New York Times (United States), The Guardian (United Kingdom), and El País (Spain) from October 2004 to October 2017. We evaluate the media’s coverage of a new, revolutionary material such as graphene in terms of the volume of news items per year and the authorship and treatment, thematic focus, and content of the articles—from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective. This analysis offers insights into the knowledge transfer about graphene and can serve as a model to the materials science communication field.

Author Biographies

Blanca Guasch, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering

Blanca Guasch, MA+34 659938442bguaschba@elisava.netwww.orcid.org/0000-0003-4067-482XELISAVA Research, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, La Rambla 30-32, 08002, Barcelona, Spain.Scientific Communication Research Group (GRECC), Journalism and Digital Documentation Research Unit, Pompeu Fabra University, Roc Boronat 138, 08018 Barcelona, Spain.Blanca Guasch is a PhD candidate in the Research Group of Scientific Communication (GRECC) at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF). She graduated in Industrial Design Engineering at ELISAVA in 2013, where she was awarded the Ei! Prize to the best academic record. She studied the Master’s Degree in Design and Communication (MUDIC) at ELISAVA, and she worked at Benedito Design and DIFERENTIS. Since 2016, she is part of the Smart and Advanced Materials Research Group in ELISAVA and the Scientific Communication Research Group in Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

Sergi Cortiñas, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Sergi Cortiñas, PhD+34 935422440sergi.cortinas@upf.eduwww.orcid.org/0000-0002-7252-5418Scientific Communication Research Group (GRECC), Journalism and Digital Documentation Research Unit, Pompeu Fabra University, Roc Boronat 138, 08018 Barcelona, Spain.Sergi Cortiñas is a professor in the Department of Communication at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona since 1999. He obtained his Ph.D. in 2006 on science journalism. He graduated in Chemistry at Universitat de Barcelona and in Journalism at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Cortiñas has participated in different research on the media in Spain. His present research focuses on science journalism and popularisation of science.

Marta González, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering

Marta González, PhD+34 635391261mgonzalez@elisava.netELISAVA Research, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, La Rambla 30-32, 08002, Barcelona, Spain.Pompeu Fabra University, Roc Boronat 138, 08018 Barcelona, Spain.Marta González joined the research group Biomaterials, Biomechanics, and Tissue Engineering (BIBITE) in 2006 at the Catalonia Polytechnic University (UPC), where she received her PhD in Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering in 2011 She has been teaching at ELISAVA since 2006 and has been responsible for the Materials and Sustainability area for the Degree in Engineering in Industrial Design since 2010. Currently she is also working as a consultant at Materfad, Materials Centre for Fostering Art and Design (FAD), Barcelona.

Santiago Justel-Vázquez, International University of Catalonia

Santiago Justel-Vázquez, PhD+34 653921014sjustel@uic.eswww.orcid.org/0000-0001-8068-6222International University of Catalonia, Carrer de la Immaculada, 22, 08017 Barcelona, Spain.Research Group: Digilab. Media, Strategy and Regulation, Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations.Santiago Justel-Vázquez is a professor at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) and at the Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations of Universitat Ramon Llull (URL). He received his PhD in communication from the URL with a dissertation on media agenda and public interest. As a journalist he has been editor of the technology channel at Lavanguardia.com.

Javier Peña, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering

Javier Peña, PhD+34 674020635jpenya@elisava.netELISAVA Research, ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, La Rambla 30-32, 08002, Barcelona, Spain.Pompeu Fabra University, Roc Boronat 138, 08018 Barcelona, Spain.Javier Peña received his Doctorate in Chemical Science from the Barcelona Polytechnic University (2000). He is currently General and Scientific Director at ELISAVA, Barcelona School of Design and Engineering. He has been Scientific Director at Materfad Materials Centre Barcelona since 2008. His research has focused on new functional materials and their selection during the design process. He has directed doctorate theses and has published various research articles in international journals with an impact factor. He has been the primary researcher in a range of competitive projects with national and European public funding.

Downloads

Published

2019-02-26

Issue

Section

Articles