![]() ![]() In the spring of 2021, Bill C-7 was approved and expanded the MAiD eligibility criteria. MAiD is a healthcare service shrouded in ethical debate with considerable implications for health equity. ![]() However, a deeper look reveals that Canadians’ opinions about the service are nuanced and complex (Pennings and Reid 2020). Government communications and polling often describe MAiD as having popular support with the Canadian public (regularly 75–85 percent support since 2015) (Pennings and Reid 2020). This law permits physicians and nurse practitioners to a) administer a substance that causes death for eligible patients who have requested it or b) prescribe the substance so that patients can self-administer, causing their own death. Medical assistance in dying, also known as MAiD, was legalized in Canada in 2016. Our analysis adds to the existing body of scholarship on MAiD by examining post-Bill C-7 news media, identifying related health equity issues and tensions, and discussing potential impacts of MAiD’s representations in news media. These stories can influence related policies, respond to the powerful voices that shape MAiD legislation, and have the potential to change national conversations. These representations offer a useful gauge of how views about MAiD continue to shift alongside changes in federal legislation. Though key stakeholders share the values of autonomy, dignity, and human rights, they appeal to them in diverse ways, sometimes with conflicting policy demands. We discuss this review of Canadian news media on MAiD, provide examples of four key themes we identified (vulnerability, autonomy, dignity, and human rights), and discuss their implications for health policy and equity. These stories reflect the concerns, priorities, and experiences of key stakeholders and function pedagogically, shaping public opinion about MAiD. In this paper, we outline findings from our review of representations of MAiD in Canadian news media texts since its legalization. ![]() Canadians’ opinions on the service are nuanced, particularly as the legislation changes over time. Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016. ![]()
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