TY - JOUR
T1 - From Robots to Humans
T2 - Newspaper Coverage of Mars in the United States and the United Kingdom 2011–2016
AU - Mace, Mikayla
AU - Schwalbe, Carol B.
N1 - Funding Information:
U.K. Space Agency (UKSA) funding works similarly, with elected members of Parliament allocating taxpayer money. UKSA was an executive agency and partner of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills until 2016, but it is now part of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. In 2014 the U.K. earmarked a relatively modest $338 million for space exploration (Ferdman ). To strengthen its competitiveness in space, the U.K. is also a member of ESA, which draws funding from the European Union (EU) and member countries. In fiscal year 2014–2015, 84% of UKSA funds went to ESA, of which it is a founding member (“UK Space Agency Annual Report” ). Some ESA activities, such as research, receive mandatory funding, which is based on gross national product. Funding for other activities, such as Mars mission development, are optional and discretionary (“Fact Sheet” ; “Funding” ). In 2016 UKSA funds comprised 8.7% of the ESA’s budget (“ESA Budget for 2016” ). Historically, the U.K. concentrated its ESA investment on “space applications and on science-related missions and eschewing investment in launchers and human spaceflight,” but it found that doing so limited its “ability to create service industries derived from scientific missions and, in particular, to benefit from the EU’s investment in these areas. The establishment of UKSA was seen as an intention for a reversal of this trend” (“UK Space Agency Volume II” , 5–6). The aim is to bolster the country’s economy and benefit society through healthcare, communications, and education (“National Strategy” ). Other countries—such as China, India, Japan, and United Arab Emirates—have also set their sights on Mars (David ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2020/10/2
Y1 - 2020/10/2
N2 - The global news media have documented space science and missions since the space race began in the 1950s. Only recently has that coverage turned toward Mars exploration and colonization as more governments and private enterprises join the race to the Red Planet. This study compares the framing of Mars coverage from 2011 through 2016 in three influential newspapers in the United States, where NASA and many private companies lead the charge, with three newspapers in the United Kingdom, an allied yet competitive country with less of a vested interest in reaching Mars. A content analysis found that many frames from past space missions were adapted for the Red Planet, such as exploration, scientific knowledge, business, nationalism, settlement, legacy, and fear, while new frames emerged, including life, human health, social justice, and social engagement. The framing and tone of Mars articles were similar in both countries despite their different positions in the Mars race. From the launch of Sputnik to potential human exploration of Mars, each successive era of space exploration has been framed in a logical progression from concept to completion that resonates with the values of the times.
AB - The global news media have documented space science and missions since the space race began in the 1950s. Only recently has that coverage turned toward Mars exploration and colonization as more governments and private enterprises join the race to the Red Planet. This study compares the framing of Mars coverage from 2011 through 2016 in three influential newspapers in the United States, where NASA and many private companies lead the charge, with three newspapers in the United Kingdom, an allied yet competitive country with less of a vested interest in reaching Mars. A content analysis found that many frames from past space missions were adapted for the Red Planet, such as exploration, scientific knowledge, business, nationalism, settlement, legacy, and fear, while new frames emerged, including life, human health, social justice, and social engagement. The framing and tone of Mars articles were similar in both countries despite their different positions in the Mars race. From the launch of Sputnik to potential human exploration of Mars, each successive era of space exploration has been framed in a logical progression from concept to completion that resonates with the values of the times.
KW - Framing
KW - Mars
KW - United Kingdom
KW - United States
KW - print newspapers
KW - tone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088584496&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/1461670X.2020.1799238
DO - 10.1080/1461670X.2020.1799238
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85088584496
SN - 1461-670X
VL - 21
SP - 1913
EP - 1932
JO - Journalism Studies
JF - Journalism Studies
IS - 13
ER -