Citizenship of disability in the mediapolis: evolution of media representations following an ecological perspective

The proposal analyses the relationship between media and disability from an ecological perspective (Bennato, 2018). Object of analysis is the corpus of scientific production "Report-media and disability" produced in the years 2005-2012 on which was conducted a thematic analysis with the following results: historical, semiotic and cultural evolution of the concept of disability; criteria of noticeability and gatekeeping; role of media representations in orienting the public opinion; citizenship of disability in the media space. The corpus signals an evolution in the terms of disability. A key to understanding this semiotic process is provided by Tullio De Mauro (2012), who states "[...] The laborious and arduous affirmation of these norms and their wide impact quickly made the word handicapped popular and [...] opened the way to negative and offensive uses." What remains of the discussion in the media representation? The emphatic, sensationalist and paternalistic tone (Fondazione Giacomo Matteotti, 2012). In the corpus, then, too many factors still play against the undiscussed assertion of a 'new citizenship' of disability in the media: habit (system, editors and public); professional routines (manifested in gatekeeping) (Fondazione Giacomo Matteotti, 2008). In addition to their function as fact-reporters, the media also play the role of 'polltakers': they provide indirect representations of the public's response to issues (Price and Roberts, 1987). An example is the Englaro case, which was reported as out-of-date information. The noticeability of the media event suggests the media's ability to propose (impose) the representation as 'real' to the reader/listener; Spiral of silence (Neumann, 1974).