Intellectual Disability in Media and Political Agendas and Its Status as a Social Minority

Abstract

AbstractThe presence of intellectual disability and its treatment in the media, with the generation of news in its proactive contribution to the social reality of this collective, reflects the media’s role in the formation of public opinion through responsible communication. Moreover, the behaviour of the political agenda concerning public service in terms of intellectual disability is manifested through the parliamentary initiatives implemented from its legislative, control, and policy orientation functions. Methods: Reference is made to 2016, the year in which the assessment report of the Action Plan of the Spanish Disability Strategy (2014–2020) was published, and the time interval from 2016 to present, for the content analysis of the dimensions defined for the study of news on intellectual disability in the El País and El Mundo newspapers (media agenda) and the parliamentary initiatives related to intellectual disability (political agenda). In a cross-sectional analysis between the agendas and this Strategic Plan, we sought to determine the relationships of the attitudes and behaviours achieved by the different social agents. Results: The analysis contributes to the consideration of intellectual disability as a minority issue in political and media agendas. Discussion and Conclusions: The exiguous implication of responsibility in the media agenda and the lack of commitment in the political agenda prevent the construction of the real situation of intellectual disability (public agenda) derived from its consequences.KeywordsIntellectual disabilityMedia agendaMinoritiesPolitical agendaPublic agendaPublic relationsResponsibility