Technology hype, promises, and expectations: The discussion on small modular reactors in the Finnish newspaper ‘Helsingin Sanomat’ in 2000–2022

Mika Kari; Markku Lehtonen; Tapio Litmanen; Matti Kojo

doi:10.14512/tatup.32.3.41

Authors

Mika Kari University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä (FI) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8973-6775 mika.kari@jyu.fi
Markku Lehtonen Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona (ES) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2509-1554 markku.lehtonen@upf.edu
Tapio Litmanen University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä (FI) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6491-4990 tapio.a.litmanen@jyu.fi
Matti Kojo LUT University, Lappeenranta; Tampere University, Tampere (FI) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1731-292X matti.kojo@lut.fi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.32.3.41

Keywords:

techno-scientific promises, media analysis, hype cycle, nuclear energy, small modular reactors

Abstract

While the construction of collective promises is vital to the success of any techno-scientific innovation, it also entails the risk of overpromising and cycles of hype and disappointment. This article explores the discursive construction of the nuclear sector’s latest promise concerning small modular reactors (SMRs), using Finland as an example. It provides a brief overview of the Finnish context of SMR development and analyzes it's coverage in the leading Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat 2000–2022. Efforts at promise construction have so far been aimed at building legitimacy for SMRs, while strengthening credibility – another key element of successful promise construction – has only just begun. The increasing number of SMR-related articles indicates a growing hype, but the absence of a corresponding ‘hype language’ suggests that the considerable media attention does not automatically translate into emphatic media coverage and discursive hyping.

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