Research carried out by Turn2us examines negative attitudes to welfare promoted by newspapers
The Turn2us report looks at major press coverage between 1995 and 2011 and found the approach to welfare news stories varied considerably. There was trend for more articles with negative language in tabloids and fewer in broadsheets. The Mirror the least negative of the tabloids at 51%, the Guardian the least negative of the broadsheets with 36%.The share of stories with negative language is over two-thirds for the other tabloids with the Sun coming top with 78%.
For more information see
www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/nov/20/benefits-stigma-newspapers-report-welfare
Disability Rights UK published a report in August 2012 on the Press portrayal of disabled people: a rise in hostility fuelled by austerity?
Some of the most concerning statistics from our survey are that:
- Over three quarters (77%) of respondents cited negative press articles about disabled people; only a third (35%) named a positive story;
- 94% suggested press portrayal of disability equality issues was ‘unfair’ and 76% said the volume of negativity was ‘significantly increasing’;
- 91% said there was a link between negative press portrayal of disabled people and rising hostility/hate crime;
- Four in ten (42%) specifically suggested the Government was responsible for rising press negativity and hostility towards disabledpeople.
