The Plurality and Shifting of Framing GMO Risks

Anchored in framing theory and the public arenas model, this chapter investigates the representation and temporal evolution of GMO risk frames on Chinese social media. By analyzing public discussions on GMO risks from 2010 to 2020 and utilizing the integration of unsupervised machine learning and computational grounded theory methodologies, this chapter develops a categorization schema of 13 GMO risk frames. These frames encompass the complete lifecycle of risk social construction: from initial identification and definition, through assessment and social negotiation, to attribution, impact evaluation, and finally management and mitigation. The findings show that GMO risk discourses contain multiple dimensions, with distinct patterns in how different social actors—government agencies, experts, media outlets, and the general public—adopt and utilize various frames. Also, this chapter demonstrates that the evolution of the GMO risk frame aligns closely with public attention cycles, exhibiting three distinct patterns: fluctuating decline, punctuated equilibrium, and fluctuating increase. Additionally, it was found that key events or crises catalyze both quantitative changes in frame prominence and qualitative transformations in how GMO risks are framed and constructed.