Presentation
‘Aesthetically pleasing?’: The portrayal of botched lethal injections in the American media
American Society of Criminology
(2016)
Abstract
Research exploring the death penalty has largely focused on technological efficacy rather than the termination of life. More often than not, the general public is told that executions are carried out swiftly and painlessly, through the use of lethal injections. However, botched cases of lethal injections challenge the very notion that the death penalty has become a civilized process by evidencing the possible delay and unnecessary agony that can be experienced. In this study, we conducted a content analysis of archived media reports of all lethal injection executions in the states of Texas (n=534), Oklahoma (n=112), and Ohio (n=54), since its’ implementation in 1977. We then compared the portrayal of botched lethal injections by media outlets, at both the local and national levels, to examine how incidents were depicted and if certain cases drew more publicity than others, and why. Results indicated that media outlet’s discussion of botched lethal injections downplay or justify the suffering of the individual, the methods used, and/or how they are carried out. These justifications further legitimize political debates and agendas focused on the aesthetics of capital punishment rather than the actual process of killing the condemned inhumanely.
Disciplines
Publication Date
November 16, 2016
Location
New Orleans, LA
Citation Information
Ann Figueroa Soliman and Bryce Garreth Westlake. "‘Aesthetically pleasing?’: The portrayal of botched lethal injections in the American media" American Society of Criminology (2016) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/bryce_westlake/24/