The purpose of this article is to present a set of persisting representations in the Brazilian press, pointing out its relation to a particular model of understanding science. The theme is that of genetics, especially in their correlations with health. The empirical study was done through the systematic monitoring of a newspaper and two relevant magazines in the national context, with the selected material being subjected to content analysis. We found three clusters of meaning in the material analyzed, which we called "determinism," "oversimplification" and "future gains". The presentation of a discourse derived from science in the studied venues is linked to narratives with broader political implications, reinforcing the authority of biological experts.
Scientific journalism; genetics; science
