Cellular agriculture in the media: newspaper coverage in Australia, Brazil, Germany, and India

Abstract. Cellular agriculture (CellAg) emerges as a technology aiming to address critical issues within the food system by offering an alternative to conventional meat. The dissemination of information about it to non-scientific communities faces challenges regarding the translation of complex technical developments, with the public reliant on the coverage from media outlets. We developed a collaborative approach to contribute to this discussion, focusing on four cases: Brazil, India, Australia, and Germany. Newspapers from these countries were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis and a subsequent joint interpretation. A major finding was the striking similarity in the main topics covered by the media in the studied countries. In addition, a large proportion of newspaper articles adopted a positive and market-oriented perspective. Germany stands out for its emphasis on research and development news. Australia is characterized by its focus on market and consumption elements. India is notable for its prioritization of food security. Brazil highlights market factors and brings to light concerns about market barriers. The results deserve further studies as they reveal that societies across geographical areas are receiving mostly superficial positive news instead of perspectives with higher-quality analyses of all impacts that may occur.