[More in the cross-post on the MRC's NewsBusters blog.]
NBC's Today and CBS This Morning both led their broadcasts on 3 November 2014 with euthanasia advocate Brittany Maynard's drug-induced suicide. The morning shows' anchors sang the praises of the "beautiful, brave young woman," as Gayle King labeled Maynard. Charlie Rose touted how the cancer patient's "short and meaningful life is over." Savannah Guthrie gushed, "What a remarkable young woman, and to share it with everyone, obviously, took a lot of courage."
The programs avoided using the word "suicide" during their reporting – other than a one-month-old soundbite of CBS correspondent Jan Crawford pointing out to Maynard that some "people who would say, well, you're choosing to end your life – that's suicide." Both newscasts acknowledged that her suicide was "controversial," but neither one brought on anti-euthanasia talking heads, nor cited opposing posts from social media. NBC's Tamron Hall spotlighted the supportive responses on Twitter:
TAMRON HALL: There were heartfelt Tweets about Maynard's passing. 'Your story, compassion and fight will never leave me.' 'She modeled the bravery of facing death with dignity. She, not cancer, had the last word.'