Hype in the Public Communication of Science-Intensive Entrepreneurship: An Analysis of the Spanish Radio Show ‘Los Revolucionarios’

Abstract

This paper investigates the phenomenon of hype in the public communication of science-intensive entrepreneurship. It analyses 70 episodes of the Spanish radio show ‘Los Revolucionarios’, encompassing the two complete seasons of emissions (2022–2024). It conducts a content analysis that aims to determine the main features of the companies whose technologies are showcased in ‘Los Revolucionarios’, to elucidate whether ‘Los Revolucionarios’ conveys a hyped representation of science-intensive entrepreneurship, and, finally, to disclose whether nationalist ideologies may underpin the content of the show. The main conclusion is that science-intensive entrepreneurship has been greatly ‘hyped’ in ‘Los Revolucionarios’. The primary indicator in this respect is that the frequency of mentions to benefits or advantages of the technologies showcased trebles the number of references to risks, threats or limitations. Results from other analytic categories lend further support to this conclusion. In turn, the analysis refutes our preliminary hypothesis that there might be a nationalist component underpinning the content of ‘Los Revolucionarios’, thus nuancing and qualifying the findings made in previous studies. The ultimate aim of this paper is to lay the groundwork for more theoretically and empirically oriented research that addresses the public communication of science and technology from a critical perspective.