The coverage of AI in the news media: a scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24137/raeic.12.e.3Keywords:
journalism, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, media coverage, science communication, media studies, emerging technologies, scoping reviewAbstract
Media coverage of artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role in shaping public understanding of the technology and consequently influences its use, regulation, and development. The importance of this topic has led to a surge in academic studies in recent years. This article aims to contribute to a better understanding of this emerging field by presenting a scoping review of the literature. It analyzes 55 peer-reviewed articles on media coverage of AI published between 2020 and 2025. The findings show that scholarly output on the subject has increased steadily, particularly following the launch of ChatGPT. Research is largely focused on and dominated by the English-speaking world, though there is a trend toward greater geographic and cultural diversity. Media portrayals of AI are predominantly positive and speculative, often framed with an economic focus, though critical and ethical perspectives are becoming more prominent as adoption increases. The review also identifies key gaps in the existing literature. This study contributes to mapping an emerging research field and points to promising directions for future inquiry.
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