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All in the family: Media presentations of family assisted suicide in Britain

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  • Birenbaum-Carmeli, Daphna
  • Banerjee, Albert
  • Taylor, Steve

Abstract

This paper presents a preliminary investigation of the press coverage of family assisted suicide in Britain during the mid to late 1990s. The newspaper articles we examine focus on court cases in which a family member had been charged with assisting a terminally ill relative to put an end to their lives. The paper aims to typify basic characteristics of the coverage and to explore their potential political implications. The observations reveal a consistently supportive stance towards family assisted suicide that is produced by depictions of dying persons and perpetrators as autonomous and conscientious individuals; by idyllic portrayals of family relations; and by praising judges for their lenient verdicts. Presentations of the law as a dated State system, as well as the marginalization of opposing voices, further enhanced the supportive message. We suggest that the commending of actors' self-reliance and the call for decreased State interference in personal affairs aligns with the neo-liberal spirit that has come into prominence in Britain since the 1980s. Within this context, we raise some questions regarding the broader political significance of such media representations.

Suggested Citation

  • Birenbaum-Carmeli, Daphna & Banerjee, Albert & Taylor, Steve, 2006. "All in the family: Media presentations of family assisted suicide in Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(8), pages 2153-2164, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:63:y:2006:i:8:p:2153-2164
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Baum, Matthew A., 2002. "Sex, Lies, and War: How Soft News Brings Foreign Policy to the Inattentive Public," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 96(1), pages 91-109, March.
    2. O'Neill, C. & Feenan, D. & Hughes, C. & McAlister, D. A., 2003. "Physician and family assisted suicide: results from a study of public attitudes in Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(4), pages 721-731, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nathalie Burlone & Rebecca Grace Richmond, 2018. "Between morality and rationality: framing end-of-life care policy through narratives," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 51(3), pages 313-334, September.

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