ABSTRACT
Geographical relevance could be a significant factor in bridging the gap between science and society. To better describe and map the coverage of science in South African newspapers, the scientific issues are clustered to identify case-specific co-occurrences of keywords. Lists of keywords have been used to identify the scientific disciplines, issues, actors, and references to nations. Science journalism is the reporting on issues related to scientific backgrounds and advancements, processes, applications, and results in science, technology, and medicine. Analysis of intensity and thematic flow of media coverage of science over time delivers key indicators of public attention to science, thereby shedding light on the local authority of science, as granted by journalists in South Africa. The cultural authority granted to science by journalists in South Africa is perceived to be lower than in the United States of America and most European countries, at least in so far as space for reporting is taken as a measure of attention.
