Is the pen mighter than the podium? An analysis of Canadian online news articles and their portrayals of women on Team Canada during the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Summer Games

Abstract

This thesis examined the portrayal of Women on Team Canada in online Canadian news articles during the 2021 Tokyo Summer Paralympics. The study sought to answer the primary research question: how were women athletes from Team Canada depicted in online Canadian news articles during the event? A qualitative content analysis was conducted using the spiral model, informed by feminist disability studies and the social model of disability. The sample consisted of 51 online news articles, including their text, titles, and photos. Three primary themes emerged: medicalized conceptions of disability, lack of intersectional identities, and reporting easy-to-understand information. It is important to acknowledge that there have been improvements from past coverage, including the text and titles focusing more on women athletes’ athletic skills. Despite these improvements, more work is needed to incorporate social perspectives on disability in reporting, address intersectional identities such as race and sexuality, and include educational information about para-sports and events. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the representation of Paralympic athletes in media and provides recommendations for more inclusive and equitable coverage in the future.