Media must address reporting on disability

The Disabled Members’ Council of the NUJ journalists’ union has called on the media industry to take action to address unethical reporting on disability issues.

Natasha Hirst, NUJ president said that “recent negative reporting on out-of-work sickness benefits has reinforced a damaging narrative that blames and punishes disabled people for situations that are not of their making”.

She urged the media industry to increase diversity.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation code only allows complaints to be made against individuals, and the NUJ continues to campaign for the expansion of the Editors’ Code of Practice to allow for complaints to be raised against reporting that discriminates.