‘An Evil Monster’, ‘A Bad Woman’ or a ‘Poor Thing’: An Analysis of the Ways in which British Newspapers Have Portrayed the ‘Killer Nurse’ Lucy Letby

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to the ways in which British newspaper outlets have portrayed the ‘killer nurse’ Lucy Letby. This paper will investigate the tropes used to portray other healthcare and female serial killers to see if similar patterns emerge in the reporting of the Letby case as has been the case with the majority of other similar cases. Using quantitative content analysis, this paper will be able to develop a thorough understanding of some of the key trends and pattens in the reporting of the Letby case. This will allow for general reporting trends to be established as well as comparisons between different newspapers. In accordance with prior research, this paper has concluded that various tropes surrounding femininity and mental illness have been drawn upon in the reporting of the Letby case. Although this is more prominent in the tabloid outlets, these tropes were used to a greater extent than expected in some of the ‘quality’ papers indicating that in accordance with the ‘unexpected’ nature of the case, the ‘quality’ papers have resorted to sensationalist coverage to a greater extent than usual in the reporting of this case which defies all of the expected norms and behaviour usually attributed to healthcare professionals.