An analysis of the representation of people with mental handicaps in a British newspaper

Articles from a British newspaper were analysed in terms of: the roles into which they cast the people with mental handicaps to whom they referred; and the frequency of their juxtaposition with other devalued groups. Results suggested that the articles were not representative in their description of people with mental handicaps, describing them as being children and patients more frequently than would be expected. Juxtapositions, particularly with people having mental health problems, occurred in about a third of the articles. Comparative analysis of the articles written by staff reporters and those written by non-staff suggested that the newspaper's own reporters were more likely to misrepresent the population of people with mental handicaps than other writers.