Constructing a “breakthrough”: News values in Science Magazine’s 2017 ranking of most important discoveries
Constructing a “breakthrough”: News values in Science Magazine’s 2017 ranking of most important discoveries

Summary/Abstract: The objective of this study is to conduct a stylistic analysis of the synopses publicized inthe end-of-the-year ranking list of 2017 scientific “breakthroughs” from ScienceMagazine. The article provides a review of literature on science popularization (alsoknown as science accommodation) and presents the typology of news values andrationalization cues that are used by editors to make science-related coverage bothnewsworthy and credible at the same time. The article lists the possible ways in whichscientific findings can be stylistically constructed as “breakthroughs”. The analysisconsists in quantifying and illustrating the typical stylistic maneuvers for framingselected science-related issues as “breakthroughs.” The article concludes with theimplications of such constructions for the public understanding of science.

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