Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study media content producers with disabilities. Scholars who traditionally study the intersection between disabilities and media have focused on the representation of people with disabilities in legacy media such as TV, films, and newspapers, or on accessibility to such media from the perspective of rights. Most TV producers, filmmakers, and journalists are non-disabled, and therefore disabilities are usually represented by non-disabled media producers in legacy media. However, new media technologies and platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, have been on the rise, and many people with disabilities have used these platforms to produce and distribute media content about their lives and identities more easily than before. Therefore, we aim to explore the experiences of people with disabilities as media content producers, with a particular focus on YouTube.

As a theoretical frame, we used the concept of self-presentation developed by Goffman. In The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman argues that in spaces where people interact with others, individuals selectively show specific facets of themselves to portray an ideal self-image that they want others to see. From this perspective, YouTube videos can be interpreted as important tools through which people present ideal images in public. This study is also inspired by media production research in Korean communication studies. From the perspective of media producers, we reinterpret and understand the experiences of people with disabilities as creators and workers producing content on new media platforms.

Methodologically, this study is based on qualitative interviews with eight YouTubers with disabilities. We selected interviewees who had worked for more than six months and asked why they started producing video content, how they represented their self-images, and how these experiences affected their lives. We then interpreted the interview data using thematic analysis.

We identified two major types of self-image among YouTubers with disabilities: "an image of a leading and self-directed figure" and "an image of being not different from others." First, "an image of a leading and self-directed figure" represents creators who play a leading role in their videos and place themselves at the center of the story. Second, "an image of being not different from others" appears in videos of daily life, demonstrating their desire to dismantle barriers between people with and without disabilities and to be recognized as equal members of society. Although they acknowledge that disabilities can affect daily functions and create differences, they still seek equal social recognition. We also found that some YouTubers represented themselves as heroes overcoming physical obstacles, aligning with findings from mainstream studies on legacy media representations of disability.

In addition, YouTube activities had significant effects on participants' economic and social lives, as well as on identity formation. The platform enabled them to generate income, form social connections, and build identities they desired. Specifically, increases in subscribers affected confidence as leading and self-directed individuals, expanded social networks, and opened opportunities for economic revenue. Their online experiences further strengthened optimistic self-perceptions as economically and socially proactive individuals in everyday life. As YouTube content producers and protagonists of their own content, they lived out their ideal self-images and inspired new understandings of people with disabilities as equal members of society through active communication with both disabled and non-disabled audiences.

This study contributes to reinterpreting people with disabilities as media producers and identifying their ideal self-images. It also contributes to understanding the impacts of new media platforms on people with disabilities.

Key Words: Disability, Media, New Media, YouTube, Media Production Studies, Self-Presentation