My February 2nd 2012 "Reichters" "The-D-Factor" TV programme "press
release" on the internet (pasted in full below) was my satirical
campaign attempt to draw attention to how disabled people, including ME
patients, are all too often being misrepresented and maltreated by the
UK media and, via the link at the bottom of spoof press release, to draw
attention to the University of Glasgow report (see link*) on such media
behaviour. There is of course no real planned 'D-Factor' TV programme. I
was using satire in the style of the UK's 'Private Eye' magazine** and
alluding to the real ITV programme in the UK called 'The X-Factor'.***
I am not alone in the view that unbalanced UK media treatment of
disabled issues has somewhat chilling echoes of deliberate public
desensitisation campaigns in 1930s National Socialist Germany. Hence my
use of the spoof term "REICHters" and use of spoof production company
"Mengele Media"****. If they were not sufficient clues as to the
satirical nature of the post I had hoped the final clue that
"The-D-Factor" TV programme was due to be released on the UK's 'April
Fools Day', "projected release date is 1 April 2012", would be
sufficient for most to realise that all the content of the "Reichters
Press Release" was a spoof. As there is no TV company called "Mengele
Media" there was of course no quotation given to them by the Work and
Pensions Secretary. The only real part of my spoof press release is my
link to the very real academic report on adverse media treatment of
disabled people:
'Bad News for Disabled People: How the newspapers are reporting
disability', Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research and Glasgow
Media Unit, University of Glasgow. Available free online at:
http://www.inclusionlondon.co.uk/domains/inclusionlondon.co.uk/local/media/downloads/bad_news_for_disabled_people_pdf.pdf
The original text of my spoof press release of 2 February 2012 follows:
----------
REICHTERS PRESS RELEASE:
The 2012 spring viewing season in the UK may witness the pilot-screening
of a new reality TV programme entitled 'The-D-Factor'. Representative
members of the public that are claiming to be 'sick' are to be
pre-selected for the programme as 'benefit contenders' with audience
participation led by a studio panel of four newspaper health editors.
Viewers will be able to vote on each case electronically in real-time:
with the total thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons awarded to each
'contender' displayed on-screen continuously.
All 'something for nothing' contenders have to sign to a pre-show
disclaimer and make no mention of National Insurance Contributions or
medical evidence previously discounted by the York University Centre for
Reviews and Dissemination. News of the pilot show has attracted some
controversy but the programme-makers, Mengele Media, have pointed out
that the UK Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, has
indicated that the show should be given a chance stating: "my coalition
cabinet colleagues and I believe this may be a modern way to bring
understanding of disability issues to a wider public and is an excellent
way to promote 'big society' participation."
The projected release date is 1 April 2012.
Independent and indirect context for the projected new programme is
available at the following link:
http://www.inclusionlondon.co.uk/domains/inclusionlondon.co.uk/local/media/downloads/bad_news_for_disabled_people_pdf.pdf
----------
I apologise if my campaign spoof misled any person in any way but, in my
defence, would assert that the way sections of the UK media are
misrepresenting disability is far more serious and unforgivable: If
desperate and suffering disabled people cannot get a fair hearing in the
media what are we supposed to do?
K. Short. 5 February 2012.
contact@angliameaction.org.uk
*
http://www.inclusionlondon.co.uk/domains/inclusionlondon.co.uk/local/media/downloads/bad_news_for_disabled_people_pdf.pdf
** http://www.private-eye.co.uk/
*** http://xfactor.itv.com/
**** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengele
[Message ends - permission to repost]
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