University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, November 12, 1986
7
Media may uphold stereotypes
By CRAIG HERRMANN
'Not bad for a black person.
The first comment is awkward today, but the second one, unfortunately, may not be.
And according to the KU Research and Training Center on Independent Living, the media often reinforce negative stereotypes of people with disabilities.
"The words and images the media may use to refer to or portray a person with a disability may have a pronounced effect on society's attitudes and views on those people." Michael Jones, associate director of the center, said yesterday.
To help journalists and writers avoid stereotypical images, Jones and his colleagues, with the help of more than 50 national disability organizations, published "Guidelines for Reporting and Writing about People with Disabilities" in 1984.
Jones said he thought the media needed standards for referring to or portraying persons with disabilities.
A second edition of the guidelines pamphlet is in production, and Jones said he hoped it would
be in circulation by the end of the year.
"Since the first one was printed in 1984, we've distributed over 30,000 copies and have requests for more all the time," he said.
Gary Ulieny, graduate research assistant for the research and training center, agreed that people in the media should realize the role they play in forming public attitude.
"It's not that people in the media have been using the wrong terms in the past. They should just be aware that adjustments need to be made to fit the changing society," he said.
"We want the media to be more responsible when disabilities are concerned." Ulicy said.
Jones said the media awareness project began in 1984 when he first saw a need to work with community centers for persons with disabilities in the Kansas City area.
Jones said monitors were appointed to read the Sun newspaper group, the Kansas City Star and Times newspapers, and to watch local television news broadcasts.
After one and a half months of monitoring local media, Jones said a press conference was held for the Kansas City journalism community. It drew little response, he said.
Press kits were then distributed to promote
awareness among the media, again producing no noticeable changes.
A response was finally achieved when a program providing feedback was started. In the program, monitors wrote letters to reporters or writers of specific articles and evaluated their work, Jones said.
Ulicny said, "We tried to not complain, but to suggest systematic ways to portrayraits of persons with disabilities."
Because of the improvements in Kansas City during the one-year letter writing campaign, Jones and his colleagues are trying to get wire services and individual newspapers to incorporate the center's guidelines into their stylebooks.
Joe McGuff, vice president and editor of the Kansas City Star and Times, said his newspapers did not have portions of their stylebooks devoted specifically to people with disabilities and that he was not aware of any such problems in either newspaper.
"If there was a serious problem, we would probably know about it from our readers," McGuff said. "But that's not to say we have a perfect record."
Dole may forfeit seat to try for presidencv
The Associated Press
Trail Room of the Kansas Union.
Dole will lose his majority leader position Jan. 6 when the Democrats take control of the Senate. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., is expected to claim Dole's position because Sen. Bennett Drion, D-Letla., announced yesterday that he would not be challenging Byrd for the position.
The Rock Chalk Rowdies will meet at 7 p.m. today in the upper level of the Burge Union.
"That's a remote option, but you get to the point where if you're missing a lot of action that affects your state then you have to make a choice." Dole said in an interview last week.
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole says it's possible he might relinquish his Republican leadership position, maybe even his Senate seat, if he becomes a top contender for the 1988 presidential nomination.
The Undergraduate Anthropology Association will meet at 7:30 p.m. today in the art gallery of the Kansas Union.
challenges by you. "I guess you have to make a judgment whether at that point you can be a senator and a candidate." Dole
On Campus
Although stung by the Democratic takeover of the Senate in last week's election, Dole said he took some comfort that a Republican governor was elected in Kansas. That means a Republican would appoint his replacement if he resigned to run full-time for the presidency. A Democrat has held the statehouse for eight years.
said. "Now I'm a long war from that point. I may never reach that point."
Dole's statements appear to reflect a change of view on what it might take to succeed in a presidential bid. In the past, Dole has maintained that he saw no problems in serving as majority leader while trying to run for president.
Just recently Dole had said that he would continue his battle against the Democrats in the Senate, saying he wanted to see if they would continue being the spend-and-tax party of the past.
■ Glen Pierce, the director of the University Theatre production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," will speak about the show as part of the University Forum at 11 a.m. today at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Aread Ave.
The KU Kempo Karate and Self-
Defense Club will meet at 5:30 p.m.
On the Record
today in 130 Robinson Center.
Surveying equipment, valued at $450, was taken about noon Monday from Douglas County roads 1850 and 1029, the Douglas County Sheriff's office reported.
The KU Dr. Dr. Who Appreciation Society will meet at 7 p.m. today in the Walnut Room of the Kansas Union.
Lawrence police reported.
A videocassette recorder, valued at $280, was rented on Aug. 21 from a video rental store in the 2000 block of 23rd Street and not returned,
THE KU Dungeons and Dragons Club will meet at 7 p.m. today in the
A car stereo, valued at $229, was taken between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday from a car parked in the parking lot at Illinois Street and Sunside Avenue, KU police reported.
A speech by Karl Weick, distinguished professor of business from the University of Texas, scheduled for 7 p.m. today in Alderson Auditorium of the Kansas Union has
Campus Christians will meet at 6:30 p.m. today in the northeast conference room of the Burge Union.
The Grinderman-
WE DELIVER
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