Researching media participation by listening to people with disability

Abstract

A significant body of literature examines the under-representation of people with disability in the media. In news and fictional portrayals, people with disability are often defined by disability first, their personhood second, perpetuating stereotypes of people with disability as different. Activists attempt to change how media portray people with disability. Less well-considered are the challenges of media participation. This article argues that the presence of people with disability in the spaces that comprise media institutions is also a necessary condition for social change, not just improved representation and participation. However, even in Australian community broadcasting, a sector founded in a normative policy commitment to democratising media participation, people with disability encounter a range of barriers to accessing the resources and spaces of community broadcasting. The Australian case study reported here supports broad consideration of how listening to the views of community broadcasting participants with disability contributes to improving their media presence.

Periodismo alternativo, alfabetización y co-construcción del imaginario social de la discapacidad en los juegos de Río 2016

“…Llama la atención la ausencia de Personas con discapacidad en los medios que cubrieron el evento, ya que su presencia en las instituciones mediáticas es también una condición necesaria para el cambio social, no solo para mejorar su representación (Stewart & Spurgeon, 2020). Ya anteriormente Ellis y Goggin (2015) habían señalado que para desmantelar el capacitismo (valorar al sujeto únicamente por sus capacidades) era necesario garantizar la participación de Personas con discapacidad en los medios de comunicación.…”

“…Para los autores, muchos de los medios emprendidos por incitación o con participación decisiva de Personas con discapacidad pueden considerarse proyectos de medios alternativos, ya que "la representación y la participación en las alturas dominantes de las industrias y profesiones de los medios de comunicación han resultado difíciles de obtener" 1 para estas personas (p. 79). Entonces, al participar como creadores de contenidos sobre discapacidad (autorepresentación) y ser visibles en medios y organizaciones de medios, las Personas con discapacidad hacen parte de la construcción de un mundo político y cultural de "diversidad social valorada", son reconocidos como ciudadanos plenos, y crean condiciones para el cambio de actitudes, lo que se traduce en cambio social (Stewart & Spurgeon, 2020). Aunque, por ejemplo, en la actualidad es reducido el número de Personas con discapacidad que en Australia participan en los medios comunitarios, esta implicación es más factible a través de sus propios medios.…”

Media representation and the Paralympics: a step too far or not far enough?

“…This was replicated in articles across much of the print media, where event categories were noted without any other acknowledgement of disability. While this lack of attention to disability in event focussed coverage may be a result of the shift towards a paradigm that embraces a social model of disability (Stewart and Spurgeon, 2020), it is not without its problems. Minimising disability may divert attention away from the lived experiences of people living with disability in Australia, and further perpetuate the notion that ability is the norm and that disability is something different, not to be talked about (Goodley, 2014).…”

“…The biopsychosocial model recognises that disability occurs as an interaction between a person's disorder or disease, and the supports and barriers in the social and physical environments in which the individual operates (WHO, 2001). The interactionist model has been described as an ‘affirmative’ model because it recognises and validates the existence and experiences of an individual whose life is affected by both an intrinsic impairment and the external limitations imposed by society (Swain and French, 2000).…”

‘Go join that radio station up there’: The role of Australian community radio in journalism education and training

“…If alternative journalism is to motivate active citizenship and democratic deliberation under these conditions, it must offer a platform for voices and stories marginalized or excluded in the mainstream media (Downing 2001;Forde 2015). Community radio has a strong track record of bringing marginalized voices to the forefront: from prisoner radio (Anderson and Bedford 2017) (Meadows 2009;Dahal 2020), people with lived experience of disability (Stewart and Spurgeon 2020), and rural, impoverished populations (Pavarala and Malik 2007;Genilo et al 2016;Katiyar 2017). In Australia, member stations of the peak body, the CBAA, adhere to codes of practice, one of which (Code 3.6) specifically requires news and current affairs coverage to 'provide access to views not adequately represented by other broadcasting sectors' (CBAA 2008: 8).…”