Thinking about the Employment of Disabled People in the Media: A Field Research in Adana

Abstract

There is a major employment crisis both in the world and in Turkey, and how the employment of vulnerable groups such as disabled people is considered within this crisis is an important issue that is often not prioritised. This study examines how ideas about disability employment are shaped in the media sector, where the general employment crisis is deepening, in a micro-universe in Adana. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 people from 19 media organisations, and the data obtained from the field were analysed under the headings of employment contraction, jobs for disabled people, and the relationship between employment and representation using the method of thematic analysis. In the light of the research findings, it can be said that the employment of disabled people in the media is viewed with prejudices; some myths about working in the media, such as speed and robustness, cannot be reconciled with disability; the decline in employment and the change in professional practices due to technology cannot bring about a change in established beliefs about the employment of disabled people.