Domestic ‘Zealotry’ and Press Discourse: Kevorkian’s Euthanasia Incident

The manner in which press outlets cover the convergence of the explicitly sensational and the explicitly ideological holds political and social implications. Does a startling or shocking domestic incident that the US press labels as zealotry catalyze the nation's news outlets to explore a wide range of views about the issues involved and their public relevance? This article addresses this matter by examining print media coverage of a videotaped euthanasia that was broadcast by the popular news magazine program 60 Minutes. The findings raise questions about the ability of incidents such as these to push the mainstream press to look beyond zealotry to the social context surrounding it.