Resumo O estudo analisa e compara a cobertura de ciência e tecnologia do principal telejornal do Brasil (Jornal Nacional) e o da Colômbia (Noticias Caracol), utilizando análise de conteúdo aplicada a um corpus de matérias representativas de um ano de transmissão – abril 2009 a março 2010. Observou-se que o informativo brasileiro apresentou mais que o dobro de matérias sobre ciência e tecnologia que o colombiano, com cobertura mais estável ao longo do ano e notas mais longas, mais recursos visuais e maior destaque. Porém, foram encontradas similaridades nos dois telejornais: notícias sobre medicina e saúde foram as mais frequentes; o principal enfoque das notas foi o anúncio de nova investigação; cientistas foram as principais fontes citadas; e pesquisas nacionais foram priorizadas.

Abstract This study analyzes and compares the science and technology coverage in Brazil’s main television news program (Jornal Nacional) and its Colombian counterpart (Noticias Caracol). Using content analysis, we investigated a corpus of news stories broadcast from April 2009 to March 2010. We found that Jornal Nacional presented over twice as many reports on science and technology as Noticias Caracol, and that its levels of reporting remained fairly stable throughout the year. The Brazilian reports were also longer, were featured more prominently, and used more visual resources. Even so, some similarities were found: news about health and medicine was most frequent; the reports focused primarily on announcing new research; scientists were the main sources cited; and national research was prioritized.

Este artículo da un panorama de las políticas de comunicación de la ciencia y la tecnología en Colombia entre 1990 y 2004, entendidas éstas como un ejercicio en doble vía, cuyo objetivo último es el derecho recíproco a la participación y al reparto del conocimiento. Está dividido en tres partes. La primera, examina el tema en las políticas generales de ciencia y tecnología del país a la luz de los modelos de comunicación pública imperantes en ellas. La segunda, hace un análisis de las actividades en que se han materializado estas políticas al examinar sus paradigmas comunicativos y las posibilidades de participación que ellas ofrecen. Por último, se hace una reflexión sobre las limitaciones del modelo democrático -ahora imperante en el discurso político- y las posibles agendas de investigación.

This article presents an outlook to the Colombian policies of public communication of science and technology (pcst), between 1990 and 2004. The first part examines country's general science and technology policies in the light of pcst prevailing models. The second part presents an analysis of the activities materializing these policies, by examining the communication paradigms as well as the possibilities of participation offered by them. The last part presents some critical reflections on the limitations of the democratic model -that prevails in the political discourse- as well as possible research agendas related to these issues.