Historique
Article de Périodique
'Zombies', 'cannibals', and 'super humans': a quantitative and qualitative analysis of UK news media reporting of the cathinone psychostimulants labelled 'monkey dust' (2021)
Auteur(s) :
ATKINSON, A. M. ;
SUMNALL, H.
Année
2021
Page(s) :
299-315
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Thésaurus géographique
ROYAUME-UNI
Thésaurus mots-clés
CATHINONES
;
DROGUES DE SYNTHESE
;
MEDIA
;
PEUR
;
DISCOURS
;
REPRESENTATION SOCIALE
;
SYMPTOME
Résumé :
Background: News media helps set the agenda for public thinking and policy responses to drugs use, by framing substances, substance use and people who use drugs (PWUD) within a 'drug scare' narrative. Using the example of 'monkey dust', an inconsistently identified set of substituted cathinone psychostimulants, we explored how an emerging drug 'problem' was reported in the UK news media, and what this tells us about prevailing attitudes towards substance use and PWUD.
Methods: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of UK news media (n = 368 articles) representations of 'monkey dust' was conducted, and the underlying discourses identified.
Findings: Monkey dust reporting met the criteria of a drug scare, which was predominantly underpinned by discourses of criminality and legality. An unrepresentative, somewhat distorted, incomplete and simplified account of monkey dust as new and dangerous, and as requiring urgent legislative action, was provided. PWUD were dehumanised, criminalised, and stigmatised and the complexities of use, and responses other than those that fell within the status quo, obscured.
Conclusions: To prevent the negative impact such reporting may have on PWUD, it is important that relevant stakeholders, including advocacy groups, academics, and researchers, work with journalists to change the way drug use and PWUD are reported.
Methods: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of UK news media (n = 368 articles) representations of 'monkey dust' was conducted, and the underlying discourses identified.
Findings: Monkey dust reporting met the criteria of a drug scare, which was predominantly underpinned by discourses of criminality and legality. An unrepresentative, somewhat distorted, incomplete and simplified account of monkey dust as new and dangerous, and as requiring urgent legislative action, was provided. PWUD were dehumanised, criminalised, and stigmatised and the complexities of use, and responses other than those that fell within the status quo, obscured.
Conclusions: To prevent the negative impact such reporting may have on PWUD, it is important that relevant stakeholders, including advocacy groups, academics, and researchers, work with journalists to change the way drug use and PWUD are reported.
Affiliation :
Public Health Institute, Faculty of Health and Applied Social Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
Cote :
Abonnement