| dc.description.abstract | The Paralympic Games (PG) are the biggest showcase of disability. Thanks to their
growing popularity, they are gradually getting a space in television and social networks
and are conquering a space in the print and digital press. Therefore, it is important to
guarantee the quality of the coverage of the event and of the messages that are sent
about people with disabilities. It is also important to understand what factors interfere
with this coverage and these messages. In this context, we developed a study that
had as a goal to understand the process of news production about the 2016 Rio PG
by Brazilian journalists. We used a descriptive, exploratory, and qualitative approach
based on some attributes of the newsmaking and gatekeepers’ studies. We conducted
15 interviews with journalists and editors who covered the event on site or direct
from the newsroom. Our results indicate that the main factors that interfered and
structured the journalists conditions of production and routines during the coverage of
the 2016 Rio PG were: some business issues (prioritization of audience interests and
the exclusivity of broadcasting rights); some logistical issues (limitation of coverage to
contents that could be accessed from the newsroom; accessibility barriers for journalists with disabilities; transportation between arenas, and reduced teams of journalists); and
journalists’ level preparedness to cover the event. The interviews also revealed that the
main news criteria for content selection were expected victories and medals, proximity,
and curiosity. They said they emphasized content that valued athletes’ sportsmanship
and narratives of overcoming adversity. | |
