Скачать или смотреть Cultural Moment 3 - Deafness and the Mass Media

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For better or worse our culture is profoundly influenced by the mass media. Television, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers, and now the Internet, simultaneously reflect our culture and help shape it.

In the past several decades, the relationship between deaf people and the mass media has changed dramatically. In the early part of this century, mass media took little notice of deaf people, or any other minority groups. And, as with other minorities, if deaf people were highlighted it was often to be stereotyped as poor, uneducated and helpless.

As deaf people gained more equal status and assumed advocacy roles, their relationship to the mass media began to change. In the 1970s deaf actors as characters appeared on major television shows. In some television markets, deaf broadcasters presented signed or interpreted newscasts. In the 1980s, closed captioning became available making television accessible to deaf viewers. Deaf production companies, owned and staffed by deaf professionals, began producing programming that appealed to both deaf and hearing audiences as well as programming for deaf consumers.

Deaf characters portrayed in movies and television more often reflected some of the realities of life as a deaf person. Popular movies such as Children of a Lesser God not only raised issues important to many deaf people but also cast deaf actors in lead roles.

Media coverage of news events related to deafness became increasingly balanced as deaf people spoke out about their lives and advocated for balanced depictions of deafness. As deaf people have become increasingly savvy media consumers,
the media has often responded with more accurate portrayals of deaf characters and deaf issues.

And that’s our Cultural Moment.