In the Know and in the News: How Science and the Media Communicate About Stem Cells, Autism and Cerebral Palsy.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read More Add to Saved list
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101752767 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2629-3277 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 26293277 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Stem Cell Rev Rep Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: 2011- : [New York, NY] : Springer Science+Business Media
      Original Publication: [Totowa, N.J.] : Humana Press, [2009]-
    • Subject Terms:
      Bibliometrics*; Autism Spectrum Disorder/*therapy ; Cerebral Palsy/*therapy ; Mass Media/*ethics ; Stem Cell Transplantation/*statistics & numerical data; Autism Spectrum Disorder/pathology ; Cerebral Palsy/pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Publication Bias ; Stem Cell Research/ethics ; Stem Cell Transplantation/ethics ; Stem Cells/cytology ; Stem Cells/physiology
    • Abstract:
      Stem cell research has generated considerable attention for its potential to remediate many disorders of the central nervous system including neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebral palsy (CP) that place a high burden on individual children, families and society. Here we characterized messaging about the use of stem cells for ASD and CP in news media articles and concurrent dissemination of discoveries through conventional science discourse. We searched LexisNexis and Canadian Newsstand for news articles from the US, UK, Canada and Australia in the period between 2000 and 2014, and PubMed for peer reviewed articles for the same 10 years. Using in-depth content analysis methods, we found less cautionary messaging about stem cells for ASD and CP in the resulting sample of 73 media articles than in the sample of 87 science papers, and a privileging of benefits over risk. News media also present stem cells as ready for clinical application to treat these neurodevelopmental disorders, even while the science literature calls for further research. Investigative news reports that explicitly quote researchers, however, provide the most accurate information to actual science news. The hope, hype, and promise of stem cell interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders, combined with the extreme vulnerability of these children and their families, creates a perfect storm in which journalists and stem cell scientists must commit to a continued, if not even more robust, partnership to promote balanced and accurate messaging.
    • References:
      PLoS One. 2013 Jul 26;8(7):e69861. (PMID: 23922827)
      Global Health. 2012 Jul 07;8:23. (PMID: 22769723)
      J Med Internet Res. 2009 Nov 27;11(4):e48. (PMID: 19945947)
      Am J Bioeth. 2010 May;10(5):16-23. (PMID: 20461637)
      Cell Stem Cell. 2013 May 2;12(5):505-7. (PMID: 23642359)
      Stem Cell Rev. 2015 Aug;11(4):540-6. (PMID: 25893594)
      Am J Bioeth. 2010 May;10(5):3-15. (PMID: 20461636)
      Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Sep;160(3):408-415.e2. (PMID: 26032192)
      Am J Bioeth. 2010 May;10(5):31-2. (PMID: 20461643)
      Am J Bot. 2009 Oct;96(10):1767-78. (PMID: 21622297)
      Nat Biotechnol. 2010 Dec;28(12):1243-6. (PMID: 21139603)
      Sociol Health Illn. 2014 Jun;36(5):670-85. (PMID: 24266861)
      BMC Med Ethics. 2014 Jul 16;15:58. (PMID: 25027482)
      BMC Med. 2012 Nov 06;10:133. (PMID: 23131007)
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Cerebral palsy; Media; Newspaper reporting; Stem cells
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20151012 Date Completed: 20161213 Latest Revision: 20200928
    • Publication Date:
      20221213
    • Accession Number:
      10.1007/s12015-015-9627-3
    • Accession Number:
      26454430