Newlands, Maxine (2012) Debunking disability: media discourse and the Paralympic Games. In: Schantz, Otto J., and Gilbert, Keith , (eds.) Heroes or Zeros: the medias perceptions of Paralympic sport. Sport and Society . Common Ground Publishing, Illinois, USA, pp. 209-224.

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Abstract

[Extract] Newwspaper headlines about Paralympic athletes have previously depicted the Paralympic Games with an emphasis on disability over athleticism. Headlines such as 'Public is often blind to some athletes' (The Globe and Mail, Canada, 1993); 'Ready, Willing and Disabled' (Washington Post, 1995); or 'Landmines claim limbs but athletes stand united' (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, 2000) are just a sample of previous story headlines about Paralympic athletes. The problem many scholars have found is with how language is used by journalists to represent Paralympians is often couched in either medical terms or a 'disabled-hero' (Hardin & Hardin, 2008) discourse with a focus on disability over elite athleticism. Much of the literature has found journalist framed Paralympian stories as negative, passive, medicalised, disability orientated, individualised or focuses on the Paralympics as minority sports, despite being organised in tandem with the Olympic mega-event.

Item ID:	25201
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-1-61229-057-7
Keywords:	Paralympics, media discourse, journalism, channel four
Date Deposited:	03 Apr 2013 23:57
FoR Codes:	20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200206 Globalisation and Culture @ 20% 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2001 Communication and Media Studies > 200101 Communication Studies @ 20% 19 STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING > 1903 Journalism and Professional Writing > 190301 Journalism Studies @ 60%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9501 Arts and Leisure > 950199 Arts and Leisure not elsewhere classified @ 50% 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970120 Expanding Knowledge in Language, Communication and Culture @ 50%
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