ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors examine the authority of science through the attention which science receives in the mass media. They discuss intensity of media coverage as a measurement of public attention and to compare studies in different countries, periods and media cultures. The intensity of science news is measured by the ratio of science news to the entire newshole over a given time. The authority of science commands, deserves and potentially gains attention in a context of growing competition for mass media attention. Media attention is a scarce commodity in modern societies; thus, when the media pay attention, they grant scarce news space to science rather than other societal topics. The authors argue that the intensity of science news is an indicator of public attention to science and an index of the authority of science.
