BU Bournemouth University SCIENCE JOURNALISM FOR DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM: A MULTI-FACET INVESTIGATION OF ISSUES AND CHALLENGES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GLOBAL SOUTH TRAN THI YEN M
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Bournemouth
University
SCIENCE JOURNALISM FOR DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM:
A MULTI-FACET INVESTIGATION OF ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GLOBAL SOUTH
TRAN THI YEN MINH
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
March 2021
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STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
| hereby declare that this thesis represents my own work, except as acknowledged in the text It has not been submitted for the degree of PhD at Bournemouth University
or any other institution
The following publications have been revised, updated and incorporated in this thesis either as passages or as single chapters:
1 Nguyen, A and Tran, M., 2019 Science journalism for development in the Global South: A systematic review of its characteristics, issues and
challenges /n: Proceedings of the 69 Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Washington, DC, 24-28 May, 2019
2 Nguyen, A and Tran, M, 2019 Science journalism for development in the Global South: A systematic literature review of issues and challenges Public Understanding of science, 28(8), 973 -
990, https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662519875447
3 Tran, M and Nguyen, A (forthcoming) Professional challenges to science journalism in developing countries: insights and implications from Vietnam (intended for Science Communication)
J
_— "
Tran Thi Yen Minh
Trang 3ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This PhD thesis is dedicated to several people, whose without support and encouragement, this journey would not be possible
First and foremost, | would like to express my greatest appreciation to my supervisory team, Professor An Nguyen and Professor Einar Thorsen, for your invaluable directions, constructive criticisms and thorough guidelines for my research project | appreciate your thorough understanding and considerable encouragement throughout
my four years at Bournemouth University | have learned so much from both of you
and | am sincerely grateful for you always giving me great comments no matter how busy your work and life were
Especially, Dr An, | owe you deep gratitude for my journey You are not only a supervisor, an ideal person for my academic life, but also an inspirer, a Big Brother who gave me endless support during my time in the UK | don’t know how to express
my appreciation for your critical comments and wholehearted revisions on my thesis, from the starting date when it was just a simple and rough proposal, till today, when it becomes a complete thesis | shall extend my special thanks to your family, sister Minh and your lovely children Hellen-Ben-Annie, who always gave me good food and a warm welcome whenever | come to your sweet home
| acknowledge the funding for this project by The Vietnamese Ministry of Education
and Training, The University of Danang — Danang University of Science and Education | strongly appreciate the professional help of the administrative staff at
Bournemouth University, particularly Sunny Choice and Cansu Kurt Green for your quick and nice responses whenever | was badly in need of help
| am particularly grateful to my “Vietnamese family” in Bournemouth, The Gardner Family - Trang-Jon-Albert-Kimberly, Hong Bui and her family, Nguyen The Man, Hoang Kim Khanh, Duong Quoc Bao, Nguyen Thu Hang, Phan Hoang Trung, Nurist Ulfa, Linh-Phuong, Quan Ngo and some others for your tremendous help and support during my PhD time Especially, Trang, thanks for being my beloved sister who always takes care of me and understands me without saying a word Without you, my four years in the UK would not be that beautiful and meaningful | own my thanks to my
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best friends, Tran Doan Phi Yen, Tang Phuong Thao, Nguyen My Quyen, Vo Thu
Hang, Le Duc Tien, Le Minh Tuong, Hoang Cong Huan for always listening, inspiring and giving me valuable advice | am also grateful to my younger sister Van-Kit for helping me with the proofreading
My very special thanks go to my big family, my parents Tho-Tien, Binh-Binh, my siblings Huy-Thao, my aunties, uncles and cousins, for your endless support during
my life and this four-years of study | do not know how to express enough appreciation for your taking care of my little son when | was away from home Mom and Dad, without your love, | could not be who | am today
My soulmate, my husband, | do not know how to begin with saying thank you Thanks for always being by my side and | know that the only distance between us is just a twelve-hour flight Thanks for your being very understanding, sympathising and for raising me up through the most stressful moments of my PhD life
Last but not least, this thesis is dedicated to my son, Nguyen Tran Canh Phuc - Jacky who is the love of my life Mom hopes that my effort of doing PhD would be a source
of inspiration for your future
Although this PhD puts me, and | know that not only me, under much stress, tears, and hurt, it lets me Know how strong | can be From what | have learned and experienced, | hope | would make, at least, a better version of myself
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PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS DURING THIS PHD
CANDIDATURE
Journal article
Nguyen, A and Tran, M., 2019 Science journalism for development in the Global South: A systematic literature review of issues and challenges Public Understanding of science, 28(8), 973 -
990, https://doi.org/10.1177/096366251 9875447
Conference and seminar papers
1 Tran, M., 2017 Science journalism Mapping the field: The current status of science journalism in developing countries /n: The Graduate School In: The
9" Annual Post Graduate Conference 8" March 2017 Bournemouth
University, Bournemouth p.8
Tran, M., 2019 The representation of scientific controversies in Vietnamese online newspapers /n: Proceedings of the Popular Culture Association 20179, Washington, DC, 17-20 April 2019
Nguyen, A and Tran, M., 2019 Science journalism for development in the
Global South: A systematic review of its characteristics, issues and challenges In: Proceedings of the 69" Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Washington, DC, 24-28 May 2019
Tran, M and Nguyen, A., 2019 Professional challenges and impediments to science journalism in Vietnam In: [AMCR Communication, Technology and Human Dignity: Disputed Rights, Contested Truths, Madrid, 7-11 July 2010
Tran, M., Nguyen, A and Thorsen, E., 2019 The representation of artificial
intelligence in Vietnam news media: Attention, sources, frames and attitudes In: Future of Journalism 2019, Cardiff, 12-13 September 2019
Tran, M 2020 The representation of artificial intelligence in Vietnamese news media: A case study of journalism about global scientific controversies in the
developing world /n: The Global Virtual Science Journalism Forum, 24-16
August 2020
Trang 6Relevant papers in progress:
1 Tran, M and Nguyen A (Forthcoming), So much to do, so little done:
Tension between role perception and role performance among Vietnamese science journalists
2 Tran, Mand Nguyen, A (forthcoming) Professional challenges to science journalism in developing countries: insights and implications from Vietnam
(intended for Science Communication)
3 Tran, M Nguyen, A and Thorsen, E (forthcoming) News representation of artificial intelligence in Vietnam and its implications for journalism about science controversies in the developing world
4 Tran, M and Nguyen, A (forthcoming) Vietnamese news media
representation of controversies over genetically modified organism
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ABSTRACT
Context: Although science journalism plays a central role for development in the Global South, it has not reached a high level of professionalism However, the literature on science journalism in developing countries is still thin The majority of existing studies have used science journalism in developed countries as a benchmark
to evaluate that in the developing world and to propose reporting practices that might not be entirely relevant to the latter Furthermore, an overwhelming amount of research employs content analysis to explore the tip of the iceberg, but less attention
is paid to the complexity in the process of news production, including news sources, media ownership and control, journalistic ethics and strategy, political implication and interest groups’ influence The lack of in-depth analysis shows a gap in understanding the nuance of science reporting in the developing world
Aims: This study uses Vietnam as a research site to gain empirical insights into the current status of science journalism professionalism in a developing First, it aims to uncover how Vietnamese science journalists perceive their professional roles in relation to Vietnam’s development processes and the key obstacles and challenges to their ability to perform such roles and to achieve professionalism Second, the work investigates news representation of two scientific controversies, artificial intelligence and genetically modified organism, to examine the content practice of Vietnamese science journalism and its implications for the country’s national development Placing the findings in the context of other developing countries, it assesses the implications
of weaknesses in the Global South’s science journalism for global science debates and international development efforts
Methods: A mixed-method approach was employed In the first phase of our study, semi-structured interview with 26 science and reporters was used to examine the local journalists’ perception and practice, addressing how Vietnamese journalists perceive and perform their roles Particularly, the thesis attempted to detail the processes of their news gathering, sourcing and framing, representing science events and issues
as well as their attitude towards the science reality in Vietnam From this, the second phase of the study employed a mixture of content analysis and interview data to investigate how such journalistic role perceptions and performances are reflected in
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science news output, through the case of global science controversies Thematic content analysis was employed to elucidate how the beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and practices of Vietnamese science journalists manifest in their science news output By analysing the presence, meanings and relationships among patterns of science news stories, the study would capture the writers’ perception and behaviours and provide insights into how the newsroom frame and shape public understanding of science The characteristics of science news found in the content analysis were then linked to interviewed science journalists’ professional attitudes and capabilities to explore potential causal relationships in science journalism in Vietnam
Findings: Data from in-depth interviews show that despite their high expectation for science journalism, the media fail to promote public understanding of and engagement
in science Vietnamese journalists lack the essential professional knowledge and skills
to deal with science events and issues Having reported science for some time, several still struggle to define what science journalism is or should be about They generally disregard the local relevance and importance of controversial science developments, and when they pay attention, they rely heavily on foreign sources and are uncritically skewed toward benefits at the expense of proper reporting of risks, including risks that are highlighted in the country’s development Also, with less than enthusiastic support from science-unfriendly news editors and executives and with a rampancy of unethical practice, they tend to sensationalise science to attract the audience, sometimes with some disastrous consequences Added to these are a number of challenges and obstacles from outside the newsroom, including insufficient and reluctant cooperation
of local scientists, political control on science and policy reporting, and commercial
influences
Further analysis into how their perceptions and performances are reflected in media
coverage of genetically modified organism (GMO) and artificial intelligence (Al) shows
that Vietnamese science news fails the job of engaging the public with controversial science developments that bear implications for their national development During the two-year examination, Vietnamese newspapers do cover GMO and Al, but are predominantly event-driven with inadequate focus on their controversial aspects There is a lack of critical reporting to inform and engage the public in the debate over GMO and Al's potential adverse implications as the media give more preference to discussion over GMO and Al economic prospects and scientific progress Accordingly,
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news coverage of both issues is associated with more benefits to risks Despite these similarities, news coverage of GMO is dominated by foreign source whereas local journalists publish more domestic stories about Al However, few international stories are localised into indigenous context, making GMO and Al less relevant to Viethamese public daily concern
Conclusions: Combining the data from in-depth interview and content analysis, the thesis argues that similar to other developing countries, science journalism in Vietnam
is far from achieving a necessary level professionalism for developmental causes Thus, it is in need for more appreciation by all stakeholders, especially news executives and the science establishment, of the importance of science journalism for development Further, placing the data in the context of Global South, the thesis calls for more serious investment in capacity building, especially through training and mentoring, for science journalists in the South to fulfil their mission for national development
Trang 10TABLE OF CONTENT
LÏSf Of FFÏU@S - - ¬ ¬ x HHHHH T nem xi LiSf Of TaDl@S - - - - - Ă Ăn ng v4 xii Chapter 1: Science journalism for development in the Global South: Vietnam
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1.1 Science and technology for developmen ‹‹ccc cài 2 1.2 Science journalism for developmeinn( ‹cccccc tt cà 3 1.3 Our limited understanding of science journalism in the Global South 6
1.4 The rationale for this thesis and research questions 8 1.5 _A mixed-method approach ccc tt nn ST Hs HH nh vu 14 1.6 The approach and structure of this thesis .- -cc <<: 16 Chapter 2: The current state of science journalism in Vietnam: Initial insights from in-depth interviews with journalÏsfS SSnnnSS nnemee 21 2.1 Anoverview of Vietnamese news media sysfem cccc ccŸằẰ 25 2.2 _ In-depth interviews with Vietnamese reporters and editors 30
2.3 High normative expectations of science journaliSM 34 2.4 Heavy dependence on foreign SOUFC©S cho 37 2.5 _ Science journalism in the back-seatf n nho 41
2.6 The dearth of in-depth science reporfinQ -‹‹‹cc -c cv ssssse 45
Chapter 3: Underlying challenges to science journalism professionalism in Mau i0 S3 3.1 Internal challenges facing science journalism in Vietnam 55 J3.1.1 Editors' indiference to science JournaliSm - 5-2222 56 jđ.1.2 Poor work and pay CO'dlÍiOfI c c2 21 1E SE SE 1 xxx key 57 3.1.3 Rampancy of low ethical StAN@IAS 000.0 cccccccccsssecsseccccceeensseeeeeeseeeecssseesaaeeeees 60 3.2 External challenges to professional science journalism in Vietnam 63 3.2.1 Political CONFO! ON SCIENCE FEPOMTING u ccccccccsssseeesecccceceeceseeeeeeseececessssseaeeees 63 3.2.2 Lack of cooperation from the local science comtmunIfy 69
x Fe Pa ©70) 0(6110(0 11016 00 (0) (<5: 74 Chapter 4: The representation of global scientific controversies in the
4.1 The making of global science conffOV©FSY c che 76 4.1.1 Scientific CONtFOVErSY: AN INTTOCUCTION .cccccsececsecccccsseceeeeeeeeseececesseeeaaeeees 76 4.1.2 Scientific controversy IN the Global AGE .cccccccccccccccessseeneeeeeeeeeeeeesenaeseeess 80 4.2 The media representation of global scientific controversies 82 4.2.1 Media representation: @ definifiOn HH HH n1 xxx y 82 4.2.2 Global scientific controversies in the news media: a brief overview 83 4.3 Research into media coverage of global scientific controversies 84