Briefings issued ahead of the pop up think tanks will include the purpose of them including the motivation to host it; details of the relevant background and context; and the relationship between the subject and independent living. Appendix 3 List of invited participants to ‘The Solutions Series: Mock the weak – the representation of disabled people in the media’ – as at 3rd December, many others invited but unconfirmed Carron Munro – Talent Associate, STV Cheri Burns – Social Media Moderator/Marketeer, Media Scotland Douglas Fraser – Business and Economy Editor, Scotland, BBC Scotland (chairing the think tank) Heather Fisken – Project Manager ILiS (introducing the think tank) Jennifer Johnston – Communications Manager, SHRC Kainde – PHd student (reporting the think tank) Katherine Quarmby – author of ‘Scapegoat; are we failing disabled people?’ Mairi McLeod – Scotland representative, Ofcom's Communications Consumer Panel Mike Jempson – Director, Media Wise Pam Duncan – Policy Officer ILiS (reporting the think tank) Paul Carter – Director/founder, Littleman Media Professor Nick Watson – of Disability Studies, Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research Pru Davies – Volunteer and treasurer, Bi-polar Scotland Sally Witcher – Chief Executive, Inclusion Scotland Stephen Brookes – coordinator Disability Hate Crime Network and ex NUJ Stephen Naysmith – Society Editor, The Herald Steve Robertson – Chair, People First Tressa Burke – Chief Executive Officer, Glasgow Disability Alliance Appendix 4
The representation of disabled people in the media – a briefing Background “The provides an essential check on all aspects of public life. That is why any failure within the media affects all of us”. Lord Justice Leveson opening the hearings of the Leveson inquiry on the 14th of November 2011 The term ‘media’ is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “the main means of mass communication (television, radio, and newspapers)” and by Wikipedia as “technologies through which communication takes place” – this also includes social media. Media is an important part of our everyday life, it is critical in the dissemination of information to the mass population. In doing this, it holds a strong influence over society, reaches many people, and shapes attitudes; “setting the tone of national thought and debate”. Recently, and most publically as part of the Leveson inquiry, the practices of the press has come under scrutiny. The representation of disabled people and the media The relationship between the media and disabled people has often been turbulent. Many have argued that despite protections in the Editors Code of Practice and in equalities legislation (and for some parts of the media this includes specific duties in the Equality Act 2010) the representation of disabled people in the media has; entrenched stereotypes – “the dominant images [of disabled people] are crude, and simplistic”, focused on the medical model of disability and more recently, vilified and victimized disabled people as benefit cheats and scroungers – ‘Disabled Benefit? Just fill in a form’, ‘No more £35k BMWs for Motability drivers: new rules will stop disabled getting luxury cars on taxpayer’ and repeating of reporting of wildly inaccurate statistics ‘75% on sick are skiving’. It has been suggested that this latter sort of reporting represents a significant shift in media portrayal from one which was largely patronising “…to one where the predominant focus has been on disabled people as scroungers”. Watson claims that, left unchecked, this shift could “lay the groundwork for the removal of the support structures and