The American news media, as well as movies and television, play an important role in shaping attitudes and perceptions of social groups. This work focusses on the media coverage and representation of people with disabilities and the consequences of such coverage. Literature demonstrates that media most often depicts individuals with disabilities negatively, often portraying them as objects of pity. We have conducted an experimental study testing how such portrayal may affect the public’s policy attitudes. Specifically, experimental groups watched either a negative or a progressive portrayal of a person with Down Syndrome as a part of a new story. We predict that the damaging representation of people with disabilities, compared to a control or progressive condition, will decrease support for policies benefitting people with disabilities by increasing anxiety and dementalization of people with disabilities or apathy. The progressive portrayal will do the opposite. In our current stage of research, we have found supping evidence for the hypothesis we have made. With this study, we expect to find evidence supporting the hypothesis that harmful representation of disability in media does ultimately negatively impact the disabled community. This is important because the disability community is the largest minority group in the country. Yet, it is a community that is often neglected, oppressed, and misunderstood. It is necessary to conduct studies like the one we have conducted in order to build a body of evidence to help reinforce the need for change with disability representation in media.
Author: Leora Bernard
Faculty Advisor: Monica Schneider, Poltical Science
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