Session: Health Humanities and Education Flash Session
Xenotransplantation in the Media: A Qualitative Content Analysis
Friday, October 13, 2023
5:00 PM – 6:15 PM ET
Location: Waterview AB (Lobby Level)
Recent media attention on pig-human organ transplant experiments has catapulted xenotransplantation into the bioethical spotlight. While innovations in xenotransplantation research are generating excitement in the scientific community about strategies for mitigating the perennial shortage of organs available for transplant, far less is known about the general public’s perceptions, values, and beliefs about xenotransplantation. One approach to understanding public perceptions of xenotransplantation involves studying the informational context created by the media. To characterize the media’s portrayal of xenotransplantation and assess the moral and ethical valence of xenotransplant messaging, we conducted a qualitative content analysis of the online print media’s coverage of several recent pig-kidney and pig-heart xenotransplants occurring at academic medical centers across the United States. A comprehensive search of the top 50 online news sources in the United States yielded 227 print-based articles meeting inclusion criteria and published between July 2021 and July 2022. Using a summative approach to analysis, all articles in the sample were coded, and numerical frequencies were calculated for all codes. Codes were then grouped into topical categories representing patterns of meaning. In the final analytic step, categories were interpreted into overarching themes reflecting the tone and sentiment of media messaging. Results suggest that media reporting on xenotransplantation is often sensationalized, and that linguistic confusion surrounding brain death and ambiguity in the distinction between research and treatment open the door for misunderstanding and mistrust. To develop the field of xenotransplantation ethically and responsibly, efforts to communicate accurate, balanced information to the general public should be prioritized.
Amanda Zink, JD, MBE – Division of Medical Ethics – NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Tia Ketsan – Division of Medical Ethics – NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Laura Kimberly, PhD, MSW, MBE – Division of Medical Ethics – NYU Grossman School of Medicine