This article was published by Kelsi Sheren on her substack on March 25, 2025.
Emotional Manipulation Isn't Journalism—It's Coercion
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| Kelsi Sheren |
Look, let's cut right to it: something deeply disturbing is happening here in Canada, and the CBC is front and centre today. They’re openly romanticizing euthanasia—Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)—as though choosing death is some beautiful, noble act instead of the tragic consequence of profound suffering and a failure of care. It's time we talked bluntly about what's really going on here, because the subtlety with which Canadians are being coerced toward assisted death is alarming.
When the CBC paints a sentimental picture of couples gently holding hands and listening nostalgically to their wedding songs moments before they're euthanized, it's not just storytelling—it's emotional manipulation. It glamorizes dying through MAiD, suggesting a death that's peaceful, romantic, and dignified, when in reality, the process is deeply complex, deeply troubling, and profoundly tragic. They're packaging death like a Hallmark movie to sell Canadians on euthanasia as something idealistic and desirable.
The CBC doesn’t just stop at emotional manipulation—they actively highlight the rapid increase in euthanasia requests as though it's something positive or simply routine. Today, one in every twenty deaths in Canada is via MAiD. That's staggering, thats terrifying and that say’s a lot about our society in Canada. Yet, CBC casually presents these numbers, implicitly suggesting this rise is not only acceptable but commendable. This normalization becomes coercive pressure, particularly for those who already feel like a burden—socially, financially, or emotionally. These carefully curated stories serve to subtly reinforce the notion that choosing death is an honourable escape from suffering rather than what it truly signifies—a societal abdication of duty to provide holistic care and compassionate solutions.
Moreover, the media’s repeated, sentimental portrayals overshadow the nuanced and often distressing realities of euthanasia. Rarely do these stories discuss the ethical dilemmas doctors face, the emotional trauma families endure, or the psychological turmoil individuals often experience leading up to their decision. Instead, the CBC chooses carefully selected anecdotes and gentle imagery that romanticize the experience, distorting public perception and sanitizing a deeply complicated and ethically charged practice.
But journalism should ONLY illuminate truth, not manufacture emotion or normalize troubling statistics. When media outlets resort to heart-tugging imagery and sentimental portrayals of euthanasia, they cross the line from reporting to coercion. They exploit readers’ and viewers empathy, subtly normalizing and even promoting MAiD as a romanticized solution to life's struggles, rather than exposing the gritty reality behind it. By doing so, they blur the crucial line between compassion and complicity, ultimately misleading their audience and perpetuating harmful ideologies. Let’s not lie here, the CBC has been doing this for years now but some reason we continue to allow our tax payer dollars to fund them.
Here's the unvarnished truth: vulnerable individuals—those grappling with severe illness, disabilities, chronic pain, isolation, or financial stress—don't need romanticized portrayals of death. They require genuine support, comprehensive healthcare solutions, robust mental health resources, and authentic human connection. Every polished narrative promoting euthanasia as "peaceful" and "beautiful" serves as a silent nudge, whispering to the vulnerable that death might indeed be preferable, or even admirable, reinforcing their internalized fears of being a burden.
What these individuals genuinely need is to be heard, supported, and uplifted through adequate care, not subtly guided toward prematurely ending their lives through orchestrated media narratives. Society owes it to those who suffer to demonstrate unwavering commitment to life-affirming solutions and meaningful support systems rather than offering death as the convenient alternative.
This is not compassionate journalism; it’s dangerous complicity. True compassion is standing alongside those suffering, championing life, and advocating for real solutions—solutions that value life over convenience, care over expediency, and hope over surrender. Journalism has a moral responsibility to confront uncomfortable truths, challenge societal norms, and demand better from our institutions. To do anything less isn't journalism; it's coercion masquerading as empathy, a betrayal of public trust, and a profound moral failure.
Truly the most frightening aspect of all this is how rapidly Canada is dismantling critical safeguards meant to protect vulnerable individuals from impulsive or pressured decisions. Just like the CBC chose to do today. The removal of mandatory waiting periods for people whose deaths are deemed "reasonably foreseeable" is outright dangerous. Without a waiting period, there's significantly less time for reconsideration, reflection, and second opinions—dramatically increasing the likelihood of impulsive decisions influenced by overwhelmed families, exhausted healthcare providers, or toxic societal messaging that death is the "brave" or "right" choice.
This isn't compassionate healthcare; it’s a healthcare system that's tired, overwhelmed, and more willing to suggest death than to truly care for its patients.
Let's Be Brutally Honest
The CBC—and many other media outlets—are contributing to a troubling societal shift, where assisted death is becoming normalized and even glamorized as a social duty rather than viewed as a heartbreaking last resort. We're dangerously close to a reality where the right to choose death morphs into an expectation or even a quiet obligation.
We must fight back against this dangerous narrative. We must demand real transparency, honesty, and integrity when discussing end-of-life care. Canada desperately needs better resources for palliative care, mental health support, and human connection—not more seductive narratives pushing death as a peaceful, noble solution.
It's time to stop romanticizing euthanasia. It’s time to fight for life and while were at it, it’s time for real journalism to come back to this country.
In case you read this CBC, shame on you.
Some previous articles by Kelsi Sheren:
1 comment:
When stories about MAID first started appearing on CBC, I contacted the CBC Ombudsman to make this point. The response was dismissive. I remain deeply disturbed by the romantic portrayal of MAID and the fact that very little airtime is given to abuses of the system and to the concerns of disability activists on the issue. The CBC continues to issues warnings about stories that address suicide, unless that suicide is by MAID. In that case it is celebrated.
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