Analysis of the Coverage of Paratriathlon and Paratriathletes in Canadian Newspapers.

Gregor Wolbring,Brian Martin

doi:10.3390/sports6030087

Abstract

From recreational to elite levels, sport has many benefits for disabled people. At the same time, it is acknowledged that there is a trickle-down problem from para-elite sport to sport participation of disabled people, in general. Newspapers are one form of media that sets agendas and influences public opinion. Many studies have highlighted problematic aspects of parasport and para-athlete coverage in newspapers. Paratriathlon was one of two new events added to the Paralympics in Rio 2016, which increased its visibility in the public domain. We investigated the coverage of paratriathlon and paratriathletes in 300 Canadian newspapers using the ProQuest database Canadian Newsstream as a source, and utilizing a descriptive quantitative and a qualitative thematic content analysis. The main themes evident in the reporting on paratriathlon and paratriathletes, in the three hundred Canadian newspapers we covered, were the supercrip imagery of the para-athlete, personal stories mostly linked to the supercrip imagery, and the theme of able-bodied athletes in juxtaposition to the para-athletes. Using the lens of the four legacy goals of the International Paralympic Committee, we conclude that our findings are detrimental to the fulfillment of the four legacy goals.

Highlights

Sport, from the recreational to the elite level, has an effect on many humans, whether in their role as spectators or participants [1,2,3], including disabled people [1,4,5]
Given the new responsibility that comes with the new status of being a Paralympic sport and given the influence of newspapers, the objective of our study was to investigate the extent and nature of the coverage of paratriathlon and paratriathletes in Canadian newspapers present in the ProQuest database Canadian Newsstream, whereby we interpret our findings through the lens of the four legacy goals of the International Paralympic Committee, and what the International Paralympic Committee sees as the role of para-athletes
Given that according to the International Paralympic Committee, some of the social responsibilities of para-athletes are to inspire others so others feel empowered and excited to participate in sport, to further equity by challenging stereotypes, and by transforming attitudes and breaking down social barriers and discrimination towards people with disabilities [15], with other words, that para-athletes are expected to be agents of change, our findings suggest that Paratriathlon athletes and their organizations have to come up with ways that decrease the reported problematic findings, in order to fulfill the legacy requirement of the Paralympics, and what the IPC expects from athletes

Summary

Introduction

From the recreational to the elite level, has an effect on many humans, whether in their role as spectators or participants [1,2,3], including disabled people [1,4,5]. It is, for example, noted that sport can contribute to the personal and moral development of individuals participating in sport, if done right [6]. The International Paralympic Committee set the goal of para-athletes to inspire others, so others feel empowered and excited to participate in sport, and to further equity

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion