Public understanding of nuclear technologies is shaped largely through media representations rather than direct experience. This study examines how nuclear-related topics were reported in online news media between 2008 and 2025 and compares these with the scientific literature. The analysis draws on approximately 9.4 million articles collected through the Europe Media Monitor (EMM), including content from mainstream media and sources identified by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and independent fact-checking organisations as potential spreaders of mis- and disinformation. Using multilingual clustering and automated framing classification, the study identifies dominant narratives and traces shifts in media attention over time. It also analyses five nuclear subtopics aligned with the current research priorities of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC): Actinium-based innovative nuclear medical applications, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), nuclear fusion, nuclear waste management, and nuclear safeguards. The findings show that media coverage is strongly event-driven and dominated by security and geopolitical frames, whereas scientific research evolves gradually across subtopics, revealing a significant gap between public discourse and scientific development.

VIANINI Irene;  KIRCHSTEIGER Christian;  BERGAMINI Michela;  KOTSEVA Bonka;  KOVACIKOVA Kristina;  LINGE Jens; 

2026-09-17

European Commission - Joint Research Centre

JRC147885

978-92-68-42637-1 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 40824,    OP KJ-01-26-354-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC147885,   

10.2760/4012175 (online),