Representations of paternal child killers in the English national press, 1900 to 1939
This thesis explores the newspaper coverage of a sample of 402 cases of paternal child killing committed during the period 1900 to 1939, as identified in a selection of seven English national newspapers. Five main research strands are considered in this thesis: the representation of paternal child killers; the representation of violent crimes; understandings of mental illness; conceptualisations of fatherhood; and the development of the national press. Firstly, it is argued that paternal child killers were not represented in a uniform way. Variations in newspaper coverage were determined by the biographies of paternal child killers, explanations for killing their children, reception by the public, factors involved in breakdowns of mental health, and the punishments they received. The second research strand concerns responses to and representations of violent crime. The newspaper coverage of paternal child killing is a useful source to explore attitudes to violent crime in the early twentieth century because it was not an 'everyday' crime and had sensational appeal to journalists as a news story. The third research strand of this thesis examines understandings of mental illness and criminal culpability. Newspaper
Butler, Jessica
Representations of paternal child killers in the English national press, 1900 to 1939. This thesis explores the newspaper coverage of a sample of 402 cases of paternal child killing committed during the period 1900 to 1939, as identified in a selection of seven English national newspapers. Five main research strands are considered in this thesis: the representation of paternal child killers; the representation of violent crimes; understandings of mental illness; conceptualisations of fatherhood; and the development of the national press. Firstly, it is argued that paternal child killers were not represented in a uniform way. Variations in newspaper coverage were determined by the biographies of paternal child killers, explanations for killing their children, reception by the public, factors involved in breakdowns of mental health, and the punishments they received. The second research strand concerns responses to and representations of violent crime. The newspaper coverage of paternal child killing is a useful source to explore attitudes to violent crime in the early twentieth century because it was not an 'everyday' crime and had sensational appeal to journalists as a news story. The third research strand of this thesis examines understandings of mental illness and criminal culpability. Newspaper
representations child killer english national press explore newspaper_coverage sample case child kill committed period identify selection english national newspaper five_main strand consider representation child killer representation violent crime understanding mental_illness conceptualisation fatherhood development national press firstly_argue child killer represent uniform way variations newspaper_coverage determine biography child killer explanation kill child reception public factor_involve breakdown mental health punishment receive second strand concern responses representation violent crime newspaper_coverage child kill useful source explore attitude violent crime crime sensational appeal journalist news story third strand examines understanding mental_illness criminal culpability newspaper