This study examines Midwestern collegiate and metropolitan newspapers to explore the differences in writing about disability language, terminology and tone. Specifically, this study focused on whether referential language and tone about people with disabilities differs depending on the source of the newspaper.
Data from six metropolitan papers and eight collegiate papers over forty randomly selected dates in the year 2014 was collected. The metropolitan newspapers analyzed were The Chicago Tribune, The Indianapolis Star, The Des Moines Register, Detroit Free Press, Omaha World-Herald, and the Journal Sentinel. The collegiate newspapers examined were The Daily Illini, Indiana Daily Student, The Daily Iowan, The Michigan Daily, The State News, Daily Nebraskan, The Exponent, and The Badger Herald. A list of key search terms was electronically searched in each newspaper and articles that fell on the forty dates were saved and analyzed. Each term that appeared in the article was evaluated on a Likert scale for language use and tone; the total number of pages of each article was also calculated. Statistical tests used were T-Tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVAR). A visual analysis was also conducted using an online word generator called Wordle.
The results indicated that metropolitan papers used more preferred disability language than their collegiate counterparts. Both sources used an informational tone when referencing people with disabilities. Page length differences were statistically insignificant. Specific words repeatedly appeared throughout both newspaper sources: mental, disabilities, crazy, health and illness. While metropolitan papers also displayed preference for the following terms: elderly, elder, people, wheelchair, and older adults. Collegiate newspapers highlighted these terms: students, insane, madness, elderly and wheelchair.
An implication of the study is that the media sources selected represented people with disabilities in an informational tone rather than a sensationalistic manner. However, disability language needs to continue to improve and become more sensitive to people with disabilities and professionals who work with them.