Media coverage of a strongly mediatized research project: the case of the Estonian satellite ESTCube-1
Media coverage of a strongly mediatized research project: the case of the Estonian satellite ESTCube-1

Summary/Abstract: The perceived value of public visibility has led research institutions and individual scientists to integrate the logic of the media into their communication practices, a process known as ‘mediatization’. This paper investigates the media coverage of the Estonian satellite project ESTCube-1 (2008-2015), whose members, according to a previous study, were mediatized, i.e. skilled and proactive in media interactions. The wide and positive media coverage of the project was mostly driven by events organized by the project team and lacked outside or critical voices. The comparison of the angles presented in press releases (n=30) and in original media coverage (n=160) shows that media reproduced the framings presented to them, including the emphasis on the educational nature of the project. The purposeful application of media logic by scientists is one factor to explain the intensity and nature of the media coverage, pointing to the need for further research about the impact of mediatization processes on media content and media autonomy.

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