The framing effect of the media in the regulation of GMOs: a case study of Russia

ABSTRACT Despite the rapid adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in agriculture, countries like Russia, have developed restrictive procedures for their approval (i.e. mandatory labeling). The country, which recently banned GMOs, had a relatively approving regulation up until 2010. In order to provide context to the 2016 GMOs ban, this paper examines whether there was a media-framing effect, before and after the 2010 regulation shift. The findings suggest that before 2010, the tone was more positive, and it became more negative during the years leading to the 2016 ban. Additionally, the frames describing GMOs also changed from emphasizing Science and Business to focusing on Concerns. Since only the changes in Frames were significant, our work suggests that media-related factors, and other economic and political factors may have influenced the major policy shift in 2016 – from being more accessible in 2010 to becoming more restrictive in 2016. Our findings add to the literature of the inter-relationship of the mass media coverage and the regulation around GMOs.