ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the state of research regarding magazine coverage of science- and technology-related topics and issues. Science and technology magazine research had a sharp focus on health, a theme that remained dominant over the entire time period of the study. Themes related to the environment and the popularization of science in magazine research are more recent, appear most frequently after 2006 and are more diverse in their focus, design and method. Although acknowledging that health-related information gleaned from magazines can have implications for health promotion, scholars lament the inadequacy and timing of coverage. Studies that explored magazine coverage of scientific and technological breakthroughs were found to display favorable valence toward science and technology, especially in the early stages of coverage. Magazines are a popular cultural source of diverse exhortations for the achievement of health and well-being made possible in large part by advances in science and technology.
