The Image of Persons with Disabilities as Portrayed in a Newspaper

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The newspaper dailies, have the ability to link persons with disability to the world. Still, no research has been found specifically on persons with disabilities and their portrayal in the newspaper daily in India. Many studies have focused on the more general topic of disabilities in the news (Mick 1996; Power 2006; Haller, Dorries, and Rahn 2006). Person with disabilities are also part of the society. The newspaper dailies depict the persons with disabilities, as reflection of the society’s perspective about them. Content analysis of media is a traditional mass communication research method used to assess a wide range of media content trends (Poothullil J.M.Martin 2008). This research paper advocates for increased newspaper analysis within the disability studies field. Using a short term media research study about Hindustan Times (HT) Newspaper daily and its news coverage of disability issue. This paper explores the shifting nature of recent disability coverage in Mumbai newspapers, for a period of 3 months in 2012. Content analysis based research found that the newspaper under study reported sensational and gender biased news related to disability issues. ******** Introduction Persons with Disabilities have their image in society. It may be positive or negative. Media plays a significant role in creating the right image of persons with disability in society. Today, world population is 7,113,968,427 billion (GeoHive 2013) and hence estimated population of person with disabilities is 711 million, if we consider that 10% of world population are persons with disabilities as estimated by World Bank (2004), Sanchez (2010) and Cumberbatch (1992). If the current population (on 29th April 2013) of India is 1,271,876,934 billion... ... middle of paper ... ...ty in the Movies. 1996.www.silentmajority.com/FeatureBook/book19.htm. Mick, Kristin Anne. 1996. Framing disability: A content analysis of disability-related newspaper coverage from 1986-1994. MS diss., San Jose State Univ. Morris Janowitz,. "Harold Lasswell's contribution to content analysis.” Winter 1968-69, Public Opinion Quarterly, (1968): 648. Penas, E. (2007, September,1).Media and Disability. Interview Report,1:Fundacion ONCE Poothullil.J.M.Martin (2008) Content Analysis of “Disability Communication” The Daily Newspaper DNA (Daily News Analysis) A Short-term Study Report, Language in India, Vol.8 11 November. Available at : www.languageinindia.com/.../disabilitycommunication.pdf Sanchez, J (Ed). (2010). Media Guidelines for Portrayal of Disability. UN Enable - Factsheet on Persons with Disabilities www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=18

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