231 KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PERCEPTIONS OF JOURNALISTS FOR NEWPAPERS IN METROPOLITAN MARKETS IN THE UNITED STATES REGARDING FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY Tom A. Vestal Gary E. Briers Extension Specialist Professor Texas A&M University Texas A&M University Introduction and Theoretical Base Most agricultural innovations are diffused among users of the technology--farmers; thus, there is little effort to educate consumers and influence acceptance. Food biotechnology dif- fers though, because it is perceived to affect the food we eat. This direct effect launches food biotechnology into a public discourse, a discourse that is played out often in the media. The International Food Information Council (1997) reminds us that mass media play an important role and serve as gatekeepers of food and health information. These gatekeepers control many of the written and oral messages by which consumers base their perceptions, attitudes, and behavior. The most important factor in consumer understanding of science and technology is mass media (Terry, 1994). But, we do not know journalists’ knowledge about biotechnology or their attitudes toward or perception of biotechnology. Rogers (1983) reiterated that mass me- dia are the primary source to increase people’s awareness about agriculture. He continued that mass media have great influence on public perception, influence he calls the Hypodermic Needle Model, which causes “direct, immediate and powerful effects” (p. 272) by figuratively injecting information into society. Therefore, to improve the methods agricultural educators use to inform the public through mass media the researchers wanted to know: What knowl- edge about, attitudes toward, and perception of food biotechnology metropolitan journalists hold?