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- All Subjects: Crisis Communication
- Creators: Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm
- Creators: Mackrell, Marguerite
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Resource Type: Text
- Status: Published
Description
News outlets frequently portray people with disabilities as either helpless victims or objects of motivation. Portrayal of people with disabilities has improved over the years, but there is still room to grow. News outlets tend to make disability the center of the story. A story about a disabled person is primarily about their disability, with their other accomplishments framed by it.
As one example of the victimhood narrative, ABC News used to run a special called My Extreme Affliction as part of 20/20 until 2012. As the name implies, the specials covered people with disabilities, specifically extreme versions. One 2008 episode on Tourette’s syndrome described Tourette’s like it was some sort of demonic possession. The narrator talked about children who were “prisoners in their own bodies” and a family that was at risk of being “torn apart by Tourette’s.” I have Tourette’s syndrome myself, which made ABC’s special especially uncomfortable to watch. When not wringing their metaphorical hands over the “victims” of disability, many news outlets fall into the “supercrip” narrative. They refer to people as “heroes” who “overcome” their disabilities to achieve something that ranges from impressive to utterly mundane. The main emphasis is on the disability rather than the person who has it. These articles then exploit that disability to make readers feel good. As a person with a disability, I am aware that it impacts my life, but it is not the center of my life. The tics from my Tourette’s syndrome made it difficult to speak to people when I was younger, but even then they did not rule me.
Disability coverage, however, is still incredibly important for promoting acceptance and giving people with disabilities a voice. A little over a fifth of adults in the United States have a disability (CDC: 53 million adults in the US live with a disability), so poor coverage means marginalizing or even excluding a large amount of people. Journalists should try to reach their entire audience. The news helps shape public opinion with the stories it features. Therefore, it should provide visibility for people with disabilities in order to increase acceptance. This is a matter of civil rights. People with disabilities deserve fair and accurate representation.
My personal experience with ABC’s Tourette’s special leads me to believe that the media, especially the news, needs to be more responsible in their reporting. Even the name “My Extreme Affliction” paints a poor picture of what to expect. A show that focuses on sensationalist portrayals in pursuit of views further ostracizes people with disabilities. The emphasis should be on a person and not their condition. The National Center for Disability Journalism tells reporters to “Focus on the person you are interviewing, not the disability” (Tips for interviewing people with disabilities). This people-first approach is the way to improve disability coverage: Treat people with disabilities with the same respect as any other minority group.
As one example of the victimhood narrative, ABC News used to run a special called My Extreme Affliction as part of 20/20 until 2012. As the name implies, the specials covered people with disabilities, specifically extreme versions. One 2008 episode on Tourette’s syndrome described Tourette’s like it was some sort of demonic possession. The narrator talked about children who were “prisoners in their own bodies” and a family that was at risk of being “torn apart by Tourette’s.” I have Tourette’s syndrome myself, which made ABC’s special especially uncomfortable to watch. When not wringing their metaphorical hands over the “victims” of disability, many news outlets fall into the “supercrip” narrative. They refer to people as “heroes” who “overcome” their disabilities to achieve something that ranges from impressive to utterly mundane. The main emphasis is on the disability rather than the person who has it. These articles then exploit that disability to make readers feel good. As a person with a disability, I am aware that it impacts my life, but it is not the center of my life. The tics from my Tourette’s syndrome made it difficult to speak to people when I was younger, but even then they did not rule me.
Disability coverage, however, is still incredibly important for promoting acceptance and giving people with disabilities a voice. A little over a fifth of adults in the United States have a disability (CDC: 53 million adults in the US live with a disability), so poor coverage means marginalizing or even excluding a large amount of people. Journalists should try to reach their entire audience. The news helps shape public opinion with the stories it features. Therefore, it should provide visibility for people with disabilities in order to increase acceptance. This is a matter of civil rights. People with disabilities deserve fair and accurate representation.
My personal experience with ABC’s Tourette’s special leads me to believe that the media, especially the news, needs to be more responsible in their reporting. Even the name “My Extreme Affliction” paints a poor picture of what to expect. A show that focuses on sensationalist portrayals in pursuit of views further ostracizes people with disabilities. The emphasis should be on a person and not their condition. The National Center for Disability Journalism tells reporters to “Focus on the person you are interviewing, not the disability” (Tips for interviewing people with disabilities). This people-first approach is the way to improve disability coverage: Treat people with disabilities with the same respect as any other minority group.
ContributorsMackrell, Marguerite (Author) / Gilger, Kristin (Thesis director) / Doig, Steve (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Self-inflicted online crises arise when a company releases materials, such as advertisements or products, that are offensive to stakeholders and consequently cause a negative reaction across online communities. This thesis examines how companies have tried to restore their image after a self-inflicted crisis arose that spoke to a lack of cultural sensitivity and understanding within the organization. Models of crisis communication were analyzed to determine that a crisis has trigger events that can be detected and prevented against. Research on diversity in the workplace and the benefits of fostering a culturally sensitive and aware workplace environment was also analyzed. Finally, image restoration strategies were examined to comprehend how companies use messaging to mitigate crises. From there, three case studies were conducted on three separate self-inflicted online crises that arose from an apparent lack of culturally sensitivity and understanding within an organization, each instance occurring within the past two years. This study then provided an analysis of the background, description, online reaction and company response to each: the PepsiCo advertisement featuring Kendall Jenner, the Gucci sweater appearing to resemble blackface and the Tarte Cosmetics Shape Tape Foundation launch. Image restoration strategies were then identified and analyzed for each case study. Metrics were determined for each case by looking at the reach of posts on social media and also by using Google Trends and Meltwater to discover the extent of media engagement during the length of each crisis. The events explored in each case study all demonstrated an oversight in the pre-crisis stage of each of the organizations, emphasizing the necessity of detection in crisis management planning as a tactic to actively identify potential threats before a triggering event can occur.
ContributorsRichards, Olivia Kathryn (Author) / Gilpin, Dawn (Thesis director) / Bovio, Sonia (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
On March 12, 2020, The Walt Disney Company announced that its U.S. Disney Parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney World, would close because of COVID-19. This study aims to determine how park annual passholders and frequent guests of the U.S. Disney Parks reacted to COVID-19 related news from The Walt Disney Company and if it impacts their decision to visit the parks. To determine this, five focus groups were conducted with annual passholders and frequent guests of the U.S. Disney Parks. Their social media habits, relationship with The Walt Disney Company, and reactions to COVID-19 related news was discussed. The results showed that while annual passholders and frequent guests may get their information from third party accounts, face confusion on some topics, and have reservations about COVID-19 during park reopenings, they still trust The Walt Disney Company and are eager to enter the parks again.
ContributorsHoldaway, Emily (Author) / Gilpin, Dawn (Thesis director) / Bovio, Sonia (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12