Atapuerca and the Media: The Newsworthiness of Archaeology and the Social Role of Journalism

Abstract

This paper addresses the relationships between the Atapuerca UNESCO World Heritage archaeological system and the media. Based on a qualitative-ethnographic approach, we specifically examine how a selected group of twenty-one science and non-science journalists perceive their relationship with the complex of the Atapuerca Project by focusing on central topics of academic discussion in the field of science communication that also affect public archaeology. We first examine what journalists believe about Atapuerca's newsworthiness, public narratives, and audiences. We next reflect on the professional and personal connections between journalists and scientists from Atapuerca. We then discuss how the journalists perceive their social role in terms of ‘functional’ and ‘critical’ attitudes. The empirical evidence illustrates similarities and differences in responding to various factors such as the media’s geographical scope, journalists’ background and specialization, personal and professional relationships with the Atapuerca scientists, and the tendency to outreach rather than journalistic models. This analysis aims to fill the lack of empirical research about Atapuerca from the media professionals’ perspective.