Cancer in the News: Religious Themes in News Stories about People with Cancer

Abstract

The prevalence of religious themes in 258 news stories of 382 people with cancer is reported in a study of the anglophone press. Such themes are rare, even in news reports from the USA, where other indicators suggest a high level of religiosity in the population. For the 35 people where religious themes are present, religion is portrayed as a marginal set of beliefs. Thus religious belief is associated with membership of a minority ethnic group, outmoded traditional authority, a matter of last resort after medicine has failed, or as childlike. Nevertheless, people with cancer are portrayed as preoccupied with issues of responsibility and moral character that have traditionally been addressed in religious discourse. The view that these preoccupations are addressed by depicting cancer as a psychological journey is considered.