A study analyses how digital press represents people with disabilities

Researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Spanish Centre for Subtitling and Audio Description (CESyA, in its Spanish acronym) have analysed the state of representation of people with disabilities in the Spanish digital press. The study, recently published in the Spanish Journal of Disability, analyses media representation of disability with the aim of determining whether the media analysed is spreading a stereotyped or discriminatory image of this group of people, which may affect their relationships with other members of society. According to the authors of the study, 70% of the news analysed complied with directions included in the Spanish Royal Board on Disability's Style Guide about disability for communication professionals, providing an inclusive image of this group. It has been concluded that the situation in regard to disability in the media is gradually improving, although complete normalisation has not been achieved. Media professionals "should find a balance between reporting using as much data as possible while maintaining a level of respect for those with disabilities, avoiding promoting negative images related to them', says one of the authors of the study, Gema López Sánchez, predoctoral researcher at CESyA - UC3M. This research has been based on a methodological triangulation that includes a bibliographic analysis, another quantitative analysis of two hundred digital news outlets from 2019, along with interviews with expert sources.