CARDIFF UNIVERSITY PRIFYSGOL CaeRDv,9 The Infantilization and Stigmatization of Suicide: A Multi-Modal Analysis of British Press Reporting of the Bridgend Suicides By Ann Luce PhD Candidate, JOMEC Cardiff University 2010 UMI Number: U517038 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U517038 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY PRIFYSGOL CaeRDY[§> DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. S igned .................................................................(candidate) Date........................................ STATEMENT 1 This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of PhD in Journalism Studies. S igned .................................................................(candidate) Date....................................... STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/ investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. S igned .................................................................(candidate) Date........................................ STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed .................................................................(candidate) Date........................................ STATEMENT 4: PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BAR ON ACCESS 1 hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loans after expiry of a bar on access previously approved by the Graduate Development Committee. Signed .................................................................(candidate) Date........................................ i Dedication For Richard, who in life loved me endlessly, and in death inspired a new path for my life, guided by his love and unfailing spirit. AND For Joey Davis who brought so much joy, love and happiness to others; you will be missed, but loved, cherished and remembered forever. Acknowledgements Heartfelt thanks must go to my supervisor, Dr. Cindy Carter, who endlessly encouraged and supported me through good times and bad with hallway pep talks, late-night e-mails and invitations to wonderful BBQ's at her home. Thank you for accompanying me on this bizarre road to conquer the beast! Thank you also to panel members Prof. Jenny Kitzinger and Dr. David Machin for your support and guidance, which was always thoughtful and much appreciated. To Dr. Claire Wardle: there is no way I could have done this without you. For the many talks, the Facebook messages of encouragement, MeCCSA (where it all began), and for your friendship; I treasure it all. To Inaki Garcia-Bianco—there are not enough words, my dear friend. To Pete Brown—thank you for one particular day in October when you picked me right back up when 1 reached rock bottom. I still owe you a pint! To Lucy Bennett, Liezel Longboan, Joe Cable, Darren Kelsey, Max Pettigrew, and the rest of the JOMEC crowd, thank you for wonderful memories, opportunities, support, chats, nights out and friendship. To Emma Gilliam and Dr. Paul Bowman: Facebook and biscuits. Enough said. To Liz Flaisig and Robert Davis —thank you for your unfailing support during the most difficult time of my life, for your love in the lead up to my Florida departure, and for your good humour, love and perspective while I've been trying to finish this thing. You are my dearest friends, and you are always there for me. I love you both so much and am looking forward to a well-deserved reunion! To my parents, Dan and Mary Luce, for care packages that seemed to arrive just when I needed them most, and for conversations that could only last ten minutes! I love you. To Helen Luce and Robert Litman, who helped keep my mental, physical and spiritual health intact over the last four years, for a wonderful visit, and phone calls that came when I needed them most! I love you. To Mary Murray, my Irish support—couldn't have done it without you. Thank you! To Kevin Bingham: High School, Undergrad and PhD—you are always there. THANK YOU! To the Northeast Florida Survivors of Suicide support group—THIS IS FOR YOU! May we all find the peace on this earth that our loved ones needed to find elsewhere. Abstract Between January 2008 and June 2008, 20 young people between the ages of 15 and 29 took their own lives in the South Wales Borough of Bridgend. In this study, I examined a sample of both national and Welsh newspapers over this six-month period, employing both quantitative (content analysis) and qualitative (discourse analysis, interviews with journalists) methods to determine how the British Press reports suicide and also to determine how journalists balance their social responsibility to report suicide with their role of maintaining stability in society. Emile Durkheim's framework for suicide and Edwin Shneidman's theory of 'psychache' helped contextualize why suicide occurs, while Bob Franklin's, Stuart Allan's, and Barbara Zelizer's theories of news constructions, framing and production processes helped further my argument about the British press' responsibility to report responsibly while maintaining the status quo. My findings show that journalists created five key categories in which they could further stigmatize the issue of suicide: reaction to death by those left behind; reason for death; description of the deceased; infantilization; and suicide and Internet usage. These categories were summarily framed by questions around why suicide occurs and by ideologies of childhood. This study concludes that the most prevalent discourse around suicide is that it should never happen; people should die naturally, preferably in old age. To reinforce that discourse, journalists tend to deem all adult suicides to be childish acts and 'other' those that die into a category of the 'deviant non-child'. It appears, then, that an overarching assumption underpinning British newspaper reports of suicide is that it is a destabilizing force in liberal democratic society. As such, journalists play a significant role in maintaining balance and replicating acceptable discourses around the issue of suicide in this society. Table of Contents Declaration i Dedication ii Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv Contents v Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Introducing Bridgend 1 1.2 Research Questions and Argument 2 1.3 Patterns in Suicide 3 1.4 Why Suicide 5 1.5 Challenges Faced 8 1.6 Childhood and Bridgend 9 1.7 Breaking News: Suicides in Bridgend 13 1.8 What this Research Entails 15 1.9 Structure of this PhD 19 Chapter 2: Production Processes of the British Press 24 2.1 Introduction 24 2.2 Theories of News 24 2.3 Constructing the News 26 2.4 Ideology and Social Class 31 2.5 Framing News 35 2.6 News Production 39 2.7 News Gathering Processes 41 2.8 Chapter Summary 44 Chapter 3: Foundation for a Suicidal Culture 45 3.1 Introduction 45 3.2 Conceptions of Childhood in Society 48 3.3 'Adultist' Power 52 3.4 Reporting Childhood 55 3.5 Defining Suicide 64 3.6 Questioning Suicide 66 3.7 Societal Views of Suicide 69 3.8 Reporting Suicide 72 3.9 Reporting Childhood Suicide 80 3.10 Chapter Summary 88 v Chapter 4: Methodology 91 4.1 Introduction 91 4.2 Choosing the Methods 92 4.3 Counting the Content 94 4.4 Explaining Discourse Analysis 98 4.5 Framing and Discourse Analysis 104 4.6 The Art of the Interview 111 4.7 The Research 117 4.8 Chapter Summary 122 Chapter 5: Stigmatization of Suicide 124 5.1 Introduction 124 5.2 Production 125 a.) Reporting the Story 132 b.) News Formats 133 c.) News Elements 137 d.) Sources 140 5.3 Discursive Elements 145 a.) Discursive Labelling: 'Suicide7 146 b.) Discursive Labelling: 'Commit Suicide' 147 c.) Discursive Features: 'Method' 149 d.) Discursive Features: 'Questioning' 151 e.) Discursive Features: 'Visuals' 153 5.4 Framing 157 a.) Frame and Causation 162 b.) Frame and Method 164 c.) Frame and Location 167 d.) Frame and Internet 168 5.5 Chapter Summary 171 Chapter 6: Discursive Practices in Suicide Reporting 175 6.1 Introduction 175 6.2 A Sampling of Interpretative Repertoires 179 a.) The Suicide of Angie Fuller 184 6.3 Categories of Description 193 a.) Reaction to Death by Those Left Behind 194 b.) Reason for Death 198 c.) Description of Deceased 203 d.) Infantilization 206 e.) Suicide and Internet Usage 208 6.4 Social Representations as Frames 212 a.) Why? 214 b.) Childhood 217 6.5 Chapter Summary 220 vi Chapter 7: Conclusion 223 7.1 Introduction 223 7.2 Review of Findings 228 7.3 Reflections 232 7.4 Future Research 234 7.5 Conclusion 238 References 239 Appendices 255 Appendix I: Wales News Service Release 255 Appendix II: PAPYRUS Press Release 258 Appendix III: Content Analysis Coding Sheet 259 Appendix IV: Interview Transcripts 262 Appendix V: Interviews Transcribed 264 Appendix