Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change

摘要: In the past decade, mass media discovered disability. Spurred by box-office appeal of superstars such as late Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox, Stephen Hawking, and others, given momentum success Oscar-winning movies, popular television shows, best-selling books, profitable websites, major corporations have reversed their earlier course hiding disability, bringing it instead to center stage. Yet depictions disability remained largely unchanged since 1920s. Focusing almost exclusively on medical aspect injury or illness, profile in fact fiction leads inevitably an inspiring moment of"overcoming." According Riley, this cliche plays well with a general audience, but narratives, driven prejudice pity, highlight importance "fixing" rendering "sufferer" normal possible. These stories are deeply offensive persons disabilities. Equally important, misguided coverage has adverse effects crucial aspects public policy, employment, social services, health care. Powerful influential, is complicit distortion issues that proven be factor economic repression one five Americans. Newspapers magazines continue consign the"back book" human-interest sections, using language long been proscribed activists. Filmmakers compound problem featuring angry misfits poignant heroes melodramas pair love redemption. Publishers churn out self-help titles memoirs milk theme for pathos. As Riley points out, all branches guilty same crude distillation story serve own, usually fiscal, ends. Riley's lively inside investigation illuminates extent while pinpointing how writers, editors, directors, producers, filmmakers, advertisers executives who give marching orders go wrong, occasionally get right. Through close analysis technical means representation, conjunction commentary leading voices community, guides future more fair accurate way putting screen paper. He argues the"discovery" Madison Avenue disabled community consumer niche, rationale sophisticated at hand. It time, says cut through accumulated stereotypes find adequate vocabulary will finally represent its vibrant fascinating diversity.