The coverage of the Higgs Boson on the internet

Authors

  • Marina Monteiro Mendonça Universidade de São Paulo (São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil)
  • André Chaves de Melo Silva Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/extraprensa2018.154725

Keywords:

Science Communication;, Science Journalism;, Internet;, Higgs boson, Language and Culture

Abstract

This study analyzed the national coverage given for the existence of the Higgs boson in online media. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses of the materials found, we could draw a profile of the texts published between April 2011 and August 2013. One can see that advertising factors, such as the nickname given to the boson (particle of God), contributed to its popularity and were widely exploited to draw readers’ attention to the news. The coverage is often lacking in several aspects, mainly in relation to scientific accuracy and quality and in terms of language. These factors are passively and actively associated with issues of the relationship between journalists and scientists, the scientific literacy of the public, and the commercial needs of the information dissemination process.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Marina Monteiro Mendonça, Universidade de São Paulo (São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil)

    Instituto de Física

  • André Chaves de Melo Silva, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

    Escola de Comunicações e Artes

References

Published

2018-12-27

How to Cite

Mendonça, M. M., & Silva, A. C. de M. (2018). The coverage of the Higgs Boson on the internet. Revista Extraprensa, 12(1), 175-188. https://doi.org/10.11606/extraprensa2018.154725