Biomaterial Database

Baby Jane Doe in the media. 1986

S Klaidman, and T L Beauchamp

A review of national television, magazine, and newspaper coverage of the case of Baby Jane Doe indicates that most of it lacked perspective and context; stories were generally incomplete and often imprecise; reporting was sometimes inaccurate; and overall, inadequate attention was paid to the medical, legal, philosophical, and social implications of the case. Human-interest and political elements of the story were generally well covered. Even after taking account of the pressures and constraints of daily and weekly news reporting, we conclude that the print press and television could have done a better job without devoting more space or time to the story. This could have been done by assigning reporters with greater expertise and by paying more attention to the needs of a hypothetical "reasonable reader."

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008402	Mass Media	Instruments or technological means of communication that reach large numbers of people with a common message: press, radio, television, etc.	Broadcast Media,Folk Media,Printed Media,Media, Broadcast,Media, Folk,Media, Mass,Media, Printed
D010344	Patient Advocacy	Promotion and protection of the rights of patients, frequently through a legal process.	Patient Ombudsmen,Patient Representatives,Clinical Ombudsman,Patient Ombudsman,Advocacy, Patient,Ombudsman, Clinical,Ombudsman, Patient,Ombudsmen, Patient,Patient Representative,Representative, Patient,Representatives, Patient
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D005065	Euthanasia	The act or practice of killing or allowing death from natural causes, for reasons of mercy, i.e., in order to release a person from incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death. (from Beauchamp and Walters, Contemporary Issues in Bioethics, 5th ed)	Mercy Killing,Killing, Mercy,Killings, Mercy,Mercy Killings
D005066	Euthanasia, Passive	Failing to prevent death from natural causes, for reasons of mercy by the withdrawal or withholding of life-prolonging treatment.	Allowing to Die,Euthanasia, Negative,Negative Euthanasia,Passive Euthanasia
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000015	Abnormalities, Multiple	Congenital abnormalities that affect more than one organ or body structure.	Multiple Abnormalities
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D026688	Bioethical Issues	Clusters of topics that fall within the domain of BIOETHICS, the field of study concerned with value questions that arise in biomedicine and health care delivery.	Bioethical Issue,Issue, Bioethical,Issues, Bioethical