How the public responded to the Schiavo controversy: evidence from letters to editors

The history and genesis of major public clinical ethics controversies is intimately related to the publication of opinions and responses in media coverage. To provide a sample of public response in the media, this paper reports the results of a content analysis of letters to editors published in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of medical ethics Vol. 36; no. 9; pp. 571 - 573
Main Authors:	Racine, Eric, Karczewska, Marta, Seidler, Matthew, Amaram, Rakesh, Illes, Judy
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics 01-09-2010 BMJ Publishing Group BMJ Publishing Group Ltd BMJ Publishing Group LTD
Subjects:	Awareness - physiology Bioethics Brief report Content analysis Death Ethical aspects Female History Humans Journalism Journalism/mass media Letters of support Living Wills - psychology Mass Media Medical ethics Mental Competency - legislation & jurisprudence Mental Competency - psychology Neurology Newspaper publishing Newspapers as Topic Persistent Vegetative State - psychology Persistent vegetative states Prognosis prolongation of life and euthanasia Proxy Proxy reporting Proxy statements Public Opinion Terminal care United States Withdrawal of treatment United States
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Summary:	The history and genesis of major public clinical ethics controversies is intimately related to the publication of opinions and responses in media coverage. To provide a sample of public response in the media, this paper reports the results of a content analysis of letters to editors published in the four most prolific American newspapers for the Schiavo controversy. Opinions expressed in the letters sampled strongly supported the use of living wills and strongly condemned public attention to the case as well as political interventions. Letters tended to be against withdrawal of life support, proxy consent and associated procedures as well as against court decisions and legal procedures. In comparison with reports written by journalists, letters to editors contained fewer controversial claims about Schiavo''s neurological condition and behavioural repertoire but similar loaded language to describe withdrawal of life support. Distinct public discourses can be encountered in different stakeholders suggesting complex and extensive pluralism even within the media.
Bibliography:	ark:/67375/NVC-8MW46SH9-2 local:medethics;36/9/571 istex:1D36DD4D720BADEFC402CA0E3ABDB0574DA704F4 ArticleID:medethics37804 href:medethics-36-571.pdf PMID:20693482 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0306-6800 1473-4257
DOI:	10.1136/jme.2010.037804