To quantify the extent of misinformation about GMOs, a study was conducted by the Alliance for Science at the Boyce Thompson Institute in partnership with Cision Media and led by Mark Lynas on the top worldwide online English-language media during a two-year period, January 12, 2019 t,o January 12, 2021. The results of the study are now published in an open-access paper in GM Crops and Food.
Out of the 535 relevant articles gathered by the team, 488 (91%) were found to be factually accurate, while 47 (9%) contained misinformation. The report also showed that the factually accurate articles had a potential readership of 4.8 billion, while those containing misinformation had a reach of 256 million.
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The study found no positive-toned articles about GMOs in the misinformation category. 100% of misinformation about GMOs has been characterized as negative, mixed, or neutral in sentiment. This suggests that anti-GMO activists have successfully influenced the media coverage of GMOs and that misinformation primarily originates from the anti-GMO perspective. The documented benefits of GMOs were foregone in countries where GMOs are banned.
The authors of the study wrote that the results of their research were concerning because they showed the persistence and influence of anti-GMO misinformation campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the misinformation articles found in the database quoted anti-GMO campaigners. While misinformation is high for GMOs, it is not unique to the topic as it is also evident in vaccines, which drives hesitancy in sub-Saharan Africa.
