Disrupting Death and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): Podcasting as Public Scholarship and Knowledge Mobilization

Abstract

Since its legalization in 2016, medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has fundamentally reshaped end-of-life care in Canada. Nearly a decade later, public discourse around MAiD has become increasingly polarized, with sensationalized media coverage often obscuring the nuanced realities of how Canadians experience decision making at end-of-life. While exceptional cases dominate headlines, there is a pressing need for knowledge translation strategies that provide accurate, contextualized, and accessible information about MAiD policies, procedures, and lived experiences.

Podcasts have emerged as an increasingly valuable methodological and knowledge mobilization tool within qualitative and community-engaged research. In response to this knowledge gap, the Disrupting Death podcast was launched to create space for thoughtful, critical, and compassionate conversations about dying, death, grief, and MAiD. Building upon a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant, the podcast serves as both a vehicle for research dissemination and as a platform for public scholarship that centres lived experiences alongside professional, ethical, and policy perspectives.

This paper examines the Disrupting Death podcast as a case study, exploring how podcasting can mobilize research findings, challenge dominant narratives, and foster more informed and empathetic public engagement with end-of-life issues.