Stories of the "medicine cow":: representations of future promises in media discourse

This paper studies the changing media representations and public perceptions of biotechnology through a case study of the generation of transgenic cattle in Finland. The particular focus is on rhetoric of the future: the narrative shaping of future promises, the politics of naming, visual images, and the role of the news media in producing and circulating images of new genetics. It is suggested that scientists can play a dominant role in popularizing scientific and technological innovations by using positive metaphors and visual imagery of genetics.