Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a controversial and important social issue, yet it is not well understood by the US public.This is problematic, for previous research shows public opinion for legalizing PAS has grown more approving in recent decades.News salience and positive portrayals of the issue in news coverage have also increased.Despite increased positive opinion and news discussion, however, few members of the public have a full understanding of PAS.The basic purpose of this study was to examine how PAS is presented in news coverage and understood by members of the public.Specifically, the study examined people's opinions of PAS to discover if their personal characteristics and/or characteristics of PAS news coverage predicted those opinions.As such, the study examined agenda-setting and framing as they occur in (a) the news media, (b) the public, and (c) external sources.To achieve these objectives, the study was divided into two method phases.The first method phase was a content analysis of 43 press releases, 198 newspaper stories, and 38 news Web site and Weblog postings from June 2005 to June 2009 to determine their level of salience and frames for PAS.PAS was not especially salient in news coverage and press releases during the time of study, although there were peaks in time when the issue did become salient.Further, the media types studied here (press releases, newspapers, and news Web sites and Weblogs) each used the legal frame most often to describe PAS and there was no significant difference in the overall frames the media types used to discuss the issue.The second method phase was a survey of 452 faculty and staff members at Bowling Green State University (a response rate of 17.01%) regarding their salience, frames, and opinions for PAS.Respondents overall had a slightly positive opinion of PAS, and these opinions could v DEDICATIONS Dedicated to my wife, for keeping me loved, strong, smart, and happy, and for leading me toward Christ.Lesley Denise Holody Dedicated to my parents, for teaching me to be the best I can be.
Author: Kyle J. Holody
Institution: Bowling Green State University
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1822824997