Agony in the news media: Framing the dying body in euthanasia news coverage from Portugal and the United Kingdom (2016–2024)

Abstract

Some studies suggest that the news media coverage of euthanasia frames the dying body as a horrible, untreatable, and intolerable bodily state. This study analyses the framing of the dying body, its organic dysfunction, and the profiles of terminal and end of life people in the euthanasia debate in Portugal and the United Kingdom. The sample includes 72 stories containing references to organ dysfunctions caused by terminal and end of life illnesses and published between 2016 and 2024 in the news media Público, Expresso, The Guardian, and The Telegraph. Content analysis and argumentative discourse analysis were combined and guided by the seminal work of Street and Kissane. The narratives employ frames that depict the body as dependent, shameful, symptomatic, temporal, and accepting. These frames highlight the decline of the body, suffering, and confinement at home. The findings underline the need for enhanced journalistic practices when addressing end of life issues.