CAMRI | Reading dermatology in the Victorian newspaper. The performance of medical vocabulary in The Times correspondence column

Reading dermatology in the Victorian newspaper. The performance of medical vocabulary in The Times correspondence column

A Research Paper by Diana Garrisi, published by Journal of Science Communication

This contribution concerns the role of the Victorian newspaper correspondence column in advancing knowledge of dermatology in relation to corporal punishment. It explores The Times’ coverage of an inquest into the death by flogging of a British soldier. I argue that on the one hand, The Times participated in the debate about flogging in the army by bringing forward skin anatomy as an argument against corporal punishment. On the other hand, the paper might have used the publication of letters with medical content as a marketing strategy to maintain its authority and credibility against accusations of sensationalism.

JCOM_1603_2017_A12

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About Diana Garrisi

Dr Diana Garrisi is a Research Associate at the Communication and Media Research Institute of the University of Westminster. She is co-investigator with Dr Jacob Johanssen of the research project ‘Facial Disfigurement in the UK media: From Print to Online’. A conference on the theme of disability and the media titled ‘Different Bodies: (Self) Representation, Disability and the Media’ will be held at the University of Westminster on 23 June 2017.