The eye of the beholder: The media look at death education
Titel:
The eye of the beholder: The media look at death education
Auteur:
Stevenson, Robert G.
Verschenen in:
Death studies
Paginering:
Jaargang 14 (1990) nr. 2 pagina's 161-170
Jaar:
1990-03-01
Inhoud:
River Dell High School offers an 18-week course entitled “Contemporary Issues of Life and Death.” For more than 15 years the response to the course by students, faculty, and parents has been positive. Over the years, the media have expressed interest in the course, its students, and teacher. The school has always been open about the program, its content, and objectives, and the media attention was welcomed, under established guidelines. The reporters who came to the school observed these rules, and the articles and television shows resulting from their work showed the students, the course, and the school in a favorable light. In 1987 Phyllis Schlafly and her Eagle Forum began a campaign to expose the “evils” of death education. An article by Fergus Bordewich pointed out strengths and weaknesses in existing courses, but television shows that followed from the article were often not as objective. This article discusses the impact of the media on the academic community using one class in death education as a case study. The power of the media is a two-edged sword that can help death education programs by showing their benefits to the public, but can harm death education programs and students. These effects are compounded when a reporter begins an investigation with a predetermined point of view and a desire for high ratings. One conclusion is that there are stories that cannot be told in four minutes or less, and educators should consider this before beginning a media project.
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