Physicians Assisted Suicide:Agenda Setting & The Elements of Morality (Essay Sample)

Physicians Assisted Suicide: Agenda Setting and The Elements of Morality
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Physicians Assisted Suicide: Agenda Setting and The Elements of Morality
According to the authors, physician-assisted suicide forts became a mass agenda before it became a professional issue following the right-to-die issues. However, the idea of Dr. Jack Kervockian on assisted Suicide brought about public debate and discussions of PAS through media channels. The article demonstrates that PAS's Rapid rise in public agenda resulted from the initial focusing events, publications both in a professional setting and mass media, and the increasing public opinion polling on the issues. Professional publications in different ss media platforms have a more significant influence on public opinions (Mooney, 2001). The media influences how people perceive a susceptible issue that deals with the wellbeing of society. In this case, the article reveals that publishing matters concerning physician-assisted Suicide on mass media, both professional and mass agendas, promoted PAS's rise in policy agenda-setting. The people became more involved in the morality behind sister secede to individuals with terminal illnesses or those in support machines (Mooney, 2001). The frequency of confuting and unblushing public opinion polls over time shows that when an issue attracts the attention of the public interest, then polling organizations find the necessity to investigate and report public opinions about the Issue. In this case, polling reports led to the rapid rise of PAS in policy agenda-setting. People give their views and opinions about the idea of assisted Suicide by the physician and whether it is moral and should be included in health care policies.
Focusing events also contribute to the rise of PAS in policy agenda-setting. Focusing events involves the sudden or uncommon Issue that is believed to have significant impacts on society in the future hence becoming an essential concern for the policy makers (Mooney, 2001). Physician-assisted Suicide became a concern to policymakers due to its relative impacts on society's perception. The earliest focusing events were reported in 1987, whereby California Bar Association endorsed physician Assisted Suicide, attracting the public's interest (Mooney, 2001). However, the prominent event that attracted the media's attention was associated with Dr. jack Kevorkian's who performed the first ever assisted Suicide on a long-time patient. It brought about debates and opinions in mass media on the effectiveness and the necessity of PAS. Therefore, the author reveals, initial focusing events are important to mass media coverage and mass policy(Mooney, 2001). The article shows that the right-to-die coverage in the early 90s had dealt with assisted Suicide to the patient with a terminal illness. However, Physician-assisted Suicide and right-to-die coverage had taken over half of mass media attention. Oss mass media channels published the opinions, ideas, and issues related to PAS and Right-to-die. In this regard, PAS became prominent following the failure of right-to-die coverage. Most of the mass media increased rapidly in the early 0s following Dr. Jack Kevorkian's first assisted Suicide sparking public opinions and ideas (Mooney, 2001). Mass media publications quickly increased following the number of assisted suicide cases performed by Dr. Jack and received so much attention from the public. The media continuously publicized the PAS to gather public opinions and debates prompting the policymakers to act towards the issues.
Following the continuity of physician-assisted Suicide with right-to-die coverage, it is true that agenda setting is very influential in attracting the attention of related issues that emerge from the previous issues (Mooney, 2001). In this case, the article reveals the ability of right-to-die coverage to gain acceptance from the public made it easier for PAS to achieve the same attention when it was first introduced.
Public opinion polls also promoted the prominence of PAS in healthcare. The authors reveal that public opinions increased following the new initial events. Polling opinion was therefore done immediately the news events attracted media attention. In this case, when the PAS issue attracted media attention, a public opinion poll was conducted to collect views and perceptions of the public about the Issue (Mooney, 2001). Polling increased with the increase of assisted Suicide by Dy. Jack and decreased as the cases decreased. Following the court's debate and ruling n PAS, the polling of public opinions became constantly high, helping the PAS issue gain momentum in the public interest. Also, voters in Oregon managed to sustain PAS's legalization increased poling public opinions on the Issue. Hence new focusing events increased media coverage on PAS, resulting o the rise of policy aged setting.
Same-Sex Marriage and Agenda Setting
Same-sex marriage attained media and media attention in American society leading to its legalization in June 2015 (Chen & Pain, 2017). The Issue became very polarized due to the increase in Suicide and mental health cases following gender issues among the youth. The media polls on public opinions in the late 90s showed that a higher percentage of Americans supported same-sex marriage (Chen & Pain, 2017). In this case, public ideas influence policy-making in society. The agenda-setting of same-sex marriage became prominent following the events on same-sex relationships among individuals. It was noted that many couples live in fear of being discriminated against and judged by society in many aspects of life, prompting the need to promote equality regardless of gender