Dr. Kristin Vindhol Evensen
Associate Professor, The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. Evensen is head of study program Adapted Physical Activity. Her main field of research is embodied meaning, intellectual disabilities and adapted physical activities.
Email: k.v.evensen@nih.no
Dr. Marte Bentzen
Associate Professor, The Norwegian School of Sport Science. Her main field of research is sport psychology. She is involved in research projects related to motivational adherence, prolonged engagement in activities and recovery in sport/para-sport, rehabilitation and work.
Email: marteb@nih.no
As the Paralympics ends with a dazzling closing ceremony, it is time to reflect upon the paradoxical media coverage that has shrouded it. There has been expert opinion, good intentions but at times a serious lapse in knowledge and oversights. Case and point a recent Norwegian newspaper article titled “Brawny in the Olympic shadow. The Paralympics are fantastic but can never be fair”. The text is a tribute to Paralympic achievements and the Paralympic movement, yet look at the caption under this picture saying, “Wheelchair basketball is among the events in Paris”. The picture shows wheelchair rugby players playing with a wheelchair rugby ball with wheelchair rugby equipment in wheelchair rugby chairs.
Should we shrug our shoulders if a professional media mistook rugby for basketball in the Olympics? We think not.
The Paralympics are the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics, yet media coverage of the Paralympics has been limited and of mixed quality. Several researchers have pointed out that not only have Paralympic athletes been object to less media attention than Olympic athletes. They also have had to put up with presentations that describe them as suffering, victims or as heroes that are inspirational to those living without disabilities. Thus, media coverage has tended to present the disability itself as something that is of greater interest to the audience than the actual athletic achievement.
The aforementioned article avoids many of these pitfalls and provides information in a balanced way. The article skillfully credits the Paralympic games, the athletes, the opening ceremony, as well as questioning if classification of a wide range of bodies is a difficult and perhaps impossible task when the aim is fair competition – a resemblance to the discussion about gender diversity and Olympic sports. The article does however make a careless error that should be highlighted through mistaking wheelchair rugby for wheelchair basketball – something that those crafting the article should have picked up.
Sports journalists have been ascribed a professional and ethical responsibility to challenge stereotypies when they cover the Paralympics. They play an important role when it comes to end the trend of negative stereotyping describing Paralympic athletes as “bound to”, “suffering from” and “overcoming tragedies”. In this work, photos are efficient means that hide or emphasize different hallmarks of disabilities. This is what we will call a layered paradox: Experienced sport journalists and editors in large national newspapers, with good intentions, do not have the competence needed to pull through with the message. The mistake appears particularly paradoxical as the article finishes with the following phrase: “An important part when taking para-sports seriously is to pay attention to what is achieved, not to which functionalities that are missing. And that should not be too hard”.
We have asked ourselves if we are too critical about our reactions to this mistake. However, this is a symbolic mistake, made by a top sport media outlet, who often advocate to inform the readers about the importance of turning attention towards the Paralympic sport and performances of athletes. As such, whilst their intentions are good – yet competence due to basic oversight is stark.
Excusing mistakes because intentions were good when fairness and equal opportunities fails for people with disabilities is an old story that has been repeated. This is a too old story to be accepted in 2024. If we accept that good intentions cover up mistakes, the responsibility of reacting to what can be labelled small mistakes lays upon the individual or group that reacts.
However, it should be expected for editorial offices to educate their readers about different types of Paralympic sport and Paralympic performance. The Paralympic games are held, and portrayed in media, every second year, and it is a great opportunity to broadcast sports for all for the broader audience at home. Although when doing so, please know the difference between basketball and rugby. This battle needs to be fought.
