The ABC's Q&A program squibs on the disability questions that top its list of "most liked" question.
The ABC Q&A website invites people to submit questions online. And it has a list of "most liked" questions (see http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/latest-questions-by-likes.htm). The extract below (accessed on 1/12/2012) shows questions about disability are at the top of their list of questions. Disability question are:
- the top two questions
- four of the top six questions
Q&A mostly avoided disability issues despite the Government's focus on the coming NDIS, questions about disability being top of Q&A popularity list for over 12 months and the ABC's own media person with a disability, Stella Young, being on the show.
Q&A did allow a video question (from a carer in Albury) on disability ... but the panel and the chair quickly moved on without addressing the issues raised. The chair did not try to keep the panel on topic. Q&A's video questions page (see http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/video-questions.htm) shows they had other topical disability questions they could have used (for example http://pluck.abc.net.au/ver1.0/content/videos/store/1/9/a8e83fba-2164-4…).
Is it any wonder disability advocates are deeply disappointed with media treatment of disability issues?
The 200 most popular web questions
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02 Jul 2011 10:57:40am "To Mathias ... The Productivity Commission says the Government needs to double spending on disability just to meet the basic needs of half the people with severe or profound disability. Will you and your party oppose a big new tax meant to help people with a disability?" - Bob Buckley
Like (33)
02 Jul 2011 10:37:04am "To Penny ... People with a disability have particularly poor health and employment outcomes in Australia. Your colleague in finance, Bill Shorten, is very keen on helping people with a disability. Why has he not been able to interest the rest of the Government an intervention for people with a disability?" - Bob Buckley
Like (22)
17 Jul 2011 4:25:19pm "Many Christians are opposed to gay marriage because the bible tells them it is wrong. This same book also says you should kill your neighbour if you see them working on a sunday. Why don't we use common sense and rationality to determine our laws rather than allowing them to be guided by a dubious document that holds little to no relevence to the 21st century?" - S. Dunne
Like (19)
11 Aug 2011 3:23:00pm "Why is the media so reluctant to cover disability news ... for example, the Canberra Times relegated the National Disability Insurance Scheme announcement to page 5?" - Bob Buckley
Like (16)
16 Jul 2011 7:56:22pm "To the panel.
Is it not the case that the vast majority of current believers of various religions would be of a different belief had they been brought up and educated in that different faith.?
If so that surely questions the validity of any religion." - vic richards
Like (14)
11 Aug 2011 3:26:08pm "The Productivity Commission was quite scathing of existing disability services. Do you think people with a disability and their carers deserve an apology for decades of neglect?" - Bob Buckley
Like (13)
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