Soochow University, China.
University of Science and Technology of China, China.
Public Underst Sci. 2021 Apr;30(3):274-284. doi: 10.1177/0963662520983564. Epub 2021 Jan 5.
Controversies around genetically modified (GM) food have become particularly prevalent in China. To understand the situation, 257 GM cartoons were collected from various Chinese online sources. We found that China's GM cartoons peaked during controversial social events from the end of 2012 to 2016, which is consistent with the Baidu Media Index on GM headline news. About 85% of the cartoons involve GM food and more than half of cartoons share scary information. The mainstream media is more neutral and not only presents the dilemma in choice but also promotes genetically modified organisms (GMOs). However, social media inclines toward a more pessimistic view, providing scary information and focusing on health risks and conspiracy theories. Controversial topics have fueled the spread of political conspiracy theories. Generally, scientists supporting GMOs have been criticized under suspicion of betraying their country, and the issue of GM food in China reflects strong political views.
围绕转基因食品的争议在中国尤为普遍。为了了解这一情况，我们从各种中文在线资源中收集了 257 幅转基因食品漫画。我们发现，中国的转基因食品漫画在 2012 年底至 2016 年期间的有争议的社会事件中达到顶峰，这与百度媒体关于转基因食品头条新闻的指数一致。大约 85%的漫画涉及转基因食品，超过一半的漫画分享可怕的信息。主流媒体更中立，不仅呈现出选择的困境，还宣传转基因生物（GMO）。然而，社交媒体倾向于更为悲观的观点，提供可怕的信息，并关注健康风险和阴谋论。有争议的话题助长了政治阴谋论的传播。一般来说，支持转基因生物的科学家受到了叛国的质疑，中国的转基因食品问题反映了强烈的政治观点。
