Cultural Compliance: Media: Cultural Studies and Social Science Greg Philo and David Miller Contributions and Commentaries: Disciplinary dead-ends and alternative theory 1. What is wrong with science and rationality? Noam Chomsky 2. Life after the science wars? Hilary Rose 3. Film Theory and bogus theory Derek Bouse 4. Free market feminism, New Labour and the cultural meaning of the TV blonde Angela McRobbie 5. The 'Public', the 'Popular' and media studies John Corner 6. The emperor's new theoretical clothes, or geography without origami Chris Hamnett 7. Political economy Andrew Gamble Theory and practice 8. Media research and the audit culture Philip Schlesinger 9. Corporate culture and the academic left Barbara Epstein 10. Privatisation: Claims, outcomes and explanations Jean Shaoul 11. Media regulation in the era of market liberalism James Curran 12. Alternatives in the media age Danny Schechter 13. Political frustrations in the post-modern fog Hilary Wainwright Index

Paracetamol is the drug most commonly taken in overdose in the United Kingdom,1causing a substantial number of deaths.2 We have investigated the impact of the fictional portrayal of a potentially fatal paracetamol overdose in the television drama Casualty (seen by 12.8 million viewers) on short and long term knowledge related to paracetamol poisoning. View this table: Responses to questionnaire for patients presenting with overdoses in the three weeks before and the three weeks after broadcast of index Casualty episode. Values are numbers (percentages) of those who responded to question unless stated otherwise The episode (described in detail in accompanying article3) depicted a man suffering potentially fatal liver damage after an untreated paracetamol overdose. Although the particular dose (50 tablets) and delay before presentation (2 days) were mentioned, the episode did not specify minimal toxic doses or maximum safe delays. At one week and 32 weeks after this episode …

Objectives To determine whether a serious paracetamol overdose in the medical television drama Casualty altered the incidence and nature of general hospital presentations for deliberate self poisoning.Design Interrupted time series analysis of presentations for self poisoning at accident and emergency departments during three week periods before and after the broadcast. Questionnaire responses collected from self poisoning patients during the same periods.Setting 49 accident and emergency departments and psychiatric services in United Kingdom collected incidence data; 25 services collected questionnaire dataSubjects 4403 self poisoning patients; questionnaires completed for 1047.Main outcome measures Change in presentation rates for self poisoning in the three weeks after the broadcast compared with the three weeks before, use of paracetamol and other drugs for self poisoning, and the nature of overdoses in viewers of the broadcast compared with non-viewers.Results Presentations for self poisoning increased by 17% (95% confidence interval 7% to 28%) in the week after the broadcast and by 9% (0 to 19%) in the second week. Increases in paracetamol overdoses were more marked than increases in non-paracetamol overdoses. Thirty two patients who presented in the week after the broadcast and were interviewed had seen the episode-20% said that it had influenced their decision to take an overdose, and 17% said it had influenced their choice of drug. The use of paracetamol for overdose doubled among viewers of Casualty after the episode (rise of 106%; 28% to 232%).Conclusions Broadcast of popular television dramas depicting self poisoning may have a short term influence in terms of increases in hospital presentation for overdose and changes in the choice Of drug taken. This raises serious questions about the advisability of the media portraying suicidal behaviour.

Analyse de la facon dont les partis politiques britanniques utilisent les medias pour leur campagne electorale et la diffusion de leur ideologie politique. Identification des liens entre politique de communication et reussite electorale

good health.7 Nevertheless, in exceptional cases statutory intervention may be justified, but the present system may have failed to find the correct balance between the rights of the public and those of infected people. The selective application of certain sections of the Public Health Act 1984 to HIV demonstrates a piecemeal approach to the development of the law. The act still contains many features which have endured from the great Public Health Act of 1875, based on robust utilitarian principles that were designed to deal with highly infectious diseases in emergency situations. It shows little concern for human rights or the principle of self determination. For example, compulsory examination may be justified if "it is in his (the infected person's) own interest or in the interest of his family or in the public interest."8 Modern regimes of coercive medicine, such as the Mental Health Act 1983, contain a system of appeals and checks and balances to guard against potential abuse. Public health medicine has a strong tradition of utilitarian precepts and easily lapses into an uncritical, paternalistic philosophy. This anachronistic approach undermines the acceptability of the powers under the Public Health Act and also the National Assistance Acts.9 If powers of compulsion are to be maintained they must meet the standards ofcontemporary society. The underlying assumption of modern legislation is that individuals are best placed to judge their own interests; the paternalism of the existing public health provisions is no longer appropriate. Only the threat to other members of society is usually thought to justify coercion, and where compulsion is necessary it must be exercised through fair procedures. The victim must be entitled to argue against the use of such powers, if possible before they are exercised, but if urgent action has been necessary the use of powers should be challengeable through appeal. Another example, taken from the Mental Health Act model, would be the dilution ofthe power ofindividual doctors by requiring consultation with other professionals. The repeated consolidation of the old law without major reform has resulted in a Public Health Act that is unable to adapt to its current role and is unfit for the new demands likely to -be placed on it. In 1989 the Department of Health produced a thorough and welcome consultation document inviting views on possible changes to the law on infectious disease control in England and Wales.'0 Given the contentious and non-consensual nature of the provisions contained in the current legislation and their consequences for the liberty of individuals, a comprehensive revision of the existing law is called for.