Inclusive Discourse? Local Media Coverage of the Terri Schiavo Case

Abstract

This article contributes to a more systematic understanding of the role of mainstream media in deliberative processes by analyzing how inclusive local newspapers are of diverse perspectives on the Terri Schiavo case. Using both Pearson’s chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression, we assess how ownership, state political ideology, geographic location, and news format affect what ideas are included in the debate over whether Terri Schiavo’s hydration and nutrition tubes should be removed as well as the tone with which these ideas are discussed. We find that mainstream newspapers are relatively inclusive of diverse ideas and perspectives—regardless of whether the newspaper is independently or corporately owned, the political leanings of the target audience, and the geographic location of the outlet. However, we also find that local newspapers do significantly differ from one another in terms of the frequency and tone with which they include diverse viewpoints. Our research suggests that local outlets downplay ideas that are likely to be regarded as controversial by their target audiences. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this research for understanding the role of media in deliberative democratic processes in the United States.

Individual Claims-making in the Terri Schiavo Case

“…The same technique (and coders) were used to content analyze media coverage. For a detailed discussion of the newspaper sample, see Rohlinger, Pederson, and Valle (2015 To verify this assertion, we also conducted time-sensitive analyses (not shown) and found that the activist identity was almost exclusively used in conjunction with the e-mail campaign.…”

“…News coverage, of course, is not the only kind of content that potentially affects claims-making. Individuals are exposed to additional frames through opinion media (Jacobs and Townsley 2011; Rohlinger, Pederson, and Valle 2015), social media, and news blogs (Bichard 2006; Hamdy and Gomaa 2012; Howard and Parks 2012) as well as social movement organizations (McCarthy and Zald 1977; Rohlinger 2015). The latter, in particular, may shape individual claims-making as activist groups provide carefully crafted messages that individuals can sign and forward along to elected officials as part of larger letter-writing campaigns—campaigns that have become all the more pronounced in the digital age (Earl 2006; Earl and Kimport 2011).…”

“…Terri Schiavo became a touchstone for national and international debate. Thousands of news stories and opinion pieces discussed her medical diagnosis (a persistent vegetative state) and staked out the positions on whether she should be kept alive or permitted to “die with dignity” (Rohlinger et al 2015). Likewise, during 2004 and 2005, more than 250,000 e-mails were sent to Florida Governor Jeb Bush regarding the matter.…”

“…Fiscal conservatives disagreed. They wanted Bush to quit abusing his political power and stay out of the Schiavo case (Rohlinger et al 2015).…”

“…The same technique (and coders) were used to content analyze media coverage. For a detailed discussion of the newspaper sample, see Rohlinger, Pederson, and Valle (2015).…”