@inproceedings{martinelli-etal-2026-tracking,
title = "Tracking Autism Stigma in {I}talian Newspapers: A Longitudinal Analysis of Media Discourse (2016{--}2025)",
author = "Martinelli, Ginevra and
Barattieri di San Pietro, Chiara and
Ovadia, Daniela and
Bosia, Marta and
Bambini, Valentina",
editor = {Danilova, Vera and
Kurfal{\i}, Murathan and
S{\"o}derfeldt, Ylva and
Reed, Julia and
Burchell, Andrew},
booktitle = "Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Linguistic Analysis for Health ({H}ea{L}ing 2026)",
month = mar,
year = "2026",
address = "Rabat, Morocco",
publisher = "Association for Computational Linguistics",
url = "https://aclanthology.org/2026.healing-1.18/",
pages = "212--221",
ISBN = "979-8-89176-367-8",
abstract = "Public awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has grown in recent years, yet stigma surrounding this condition persists. Building on prior research showing increasingly positive portrayals of ASD, this study examines recent longitudinal trends in stigma and ASD, with a focus on Italian newspapers, and how these were affected by a key event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed nearly 3,000 articles published between 2016 and 2025 using an innovative multi-layered Natural Language Processing (NLP) framework to capture multiple dimensions of stigma, including discriminatory language, emotional framings indicative of prejudices, stereotypes, and the thematic contexts in which ASD-related stigma appears. Overall, results indicate low levels of overt stigma and a gradual shift toward more positive portrayals, with only temporary disruptions during the pandemic. Some stereotypes remain, highlighting the need for ongoing attention to ASD representation in the media."
}<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<modsCollection xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
<mods ID="martinelli-etal-2026-tracking">
<titleInfo>
<title>Tracking Autism Stigma in Italian Newspapers: A Longitudinal Analysis of Media Discourse (2016–2025)</title>
</titleInfo>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Ginevra</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Martinelli</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">author</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Chiara</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Barattieri di San Pietro</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">author</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Daniela</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Ovadia</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">author</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Marta</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Bosia</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">author</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Valentina</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Bambini</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">author</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<originInfo>
<dateIssued>2026-03</dateIssued>
</originInfo>
<typeOfResource>text</typeOfResource>
<relatedItem type="host">
<titleInfo>
<title>Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Linguistic Analysis for Health (HeaLing 2026)</title>
</titleInfo>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Vera</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Danilova</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">editor</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Murathan</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Kurfalı</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">editor</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Ylva</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Söderfeldt</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">editor</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Julia</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Reed</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">editor</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<name type="personal">
<namePart type="given">Andrew</namePart>
<namePart type="family">Burchell</namePart>
<role>
<roleTerm authority="marcrelator" type="text">editor</roleTerm>
</role>
</name>
<originInfo>
<publisher>Association for Computational Linguistics</publisher>
<place>
<placeTerm type="text">Rabat, Morocco</placeTerm>
</place>
</originInfo>
<genre authority="marcgt">conference publication</genre>
<identifier type="isbn">979-8-89176-367-8</identifier>
</relatedItem>
<abstract>Public awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has grown in recent years, yet stigma surrounding this condition persists. Building on prior research showing increasingly positive portrayals of ASD, this study examines recent longitudinal trends in stigma and ASD, with a focus on Italian newspapers, and how these were affected by a key event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed nearly 3,000 articles published between 2016 and 2025 using an innovative multi-layered Natural Language Processing (NLP) framework to capture multiple dimensions of stigma, including discriminatory language, emotional framings indicative of prejudices, stereotypes, and the thematic contexts in which ASD-related stigma appears. Overall, results indicate low levels of overt stigma and a gradual shift toward more positive portrayals, with only temporary disruptions during the pandemic. Some stereotypes remain, highlighting the need for ongoing attention to ASD representation in the media.</abstract>
<identifier type="citekey">martinelli-etal-2026-tracking</identifier>
<location>
<url>https://aclanthology.org/2026.healing-1.18/</url>
</location>
<part>
<date>2026-03</date>
<extent unit="page">
<start>212</start>
<end>221</end>
</extent>
</part>
</mods>
</modsCollection>
%0 Conference Proceedings
%T Tracking Autism Stigma in Italian Newspapers: A Longitudinal Analysis of Media Discourse (2016–2025)
%A Martinelli, Ginevra
%A Barattieri di San Pietro, Chiara
%A Ovadia, Daniela
%A Bosia, Marta
%A Bambini, Valentina
%Y Danilova, Vera
%Y Kurfalı, Murathan
%Y Söderfeldt, Ylva
%Y Reed, Julia
%Y Burchell, Andrew
%S Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Linguistic Analysis for Health (HeaLing 2026)
%D 2026
%8 March
%I Association for Computational Linguistics
%C Rabat, Morocco
%@ 979-8-89176-367-8
%F martinelli-etal-2026-tracking
%X Public awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has grown in recent years, yet stigma surrounding this condition persists. Building on prior research showing increasingly positive portrayals of ASD, this study examines recent longitudinal trends in stigma and ASD, with a focus on Italian newspapers, and how these were affected by a key event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed nearly 3,000 articles published between 2016 and 2025 using an innovative multi-layered Natural Language Processing (NLP) framework to capture multiple dimensions of stigma, including discriminatory language, emotional framings indicative of prejudices, stereotypes, and the thematic contexts in which ASD-related stigma appears. Overall, results indicate low levels of overt stigma and a gradual shift toward more positive portrayals, with only temporary disruptions during the pandemic. Some stereotypes remain, highlighting the need for ongoing attention to ASD representation in the media.
%U https://aclanthology.org/2026.healing-1.18/
%P 212-221
Markdown (Informal)
[Tracking Autism Stigma in Italian Newspapers: A Longitudinal Analysis of Media Discourse (2016–2025)](https://aclanthology.org/2026.healing-1.18/) (Martinelli et al., HeaLing 2026)
ACL