From birth control disinformation to cross-border surrogacy, from high-level sexual harassment to the brutality of “everyday” violence against women, 2022 was a year marked by a number of noteworthy investigations into stories with a gender angle.
To say the disability community is poorly covered is an understatement. Far too often, people with disabilities are pitied, ignored, or painted as “inspirational” for doing things anyone else does. People with disabilities deserve the same serious attention from investigative journalists as any other group.
In this reporting guide we’ve included some of the various definitions of disability, important resources, and key issues for journalists to investigate.
Ten investigations and stories tackling disability issues around the world to inspire your next investigation.
Just as with any other social group or marginalized community, people in the disability community have language that is preferred, or culturally accepted — and language that is not. So how do journalists know the right thing to say?
As in all stories, choosing who your sources are makes a difference. A lot of journalists fail to actually quote a person living with the disabilities they’re writing about, and there are also many disabled and neurodivergent people who are experts in the fields that you might need for your story.
From deinstitutionalization and independent living to community health and caregiving, there are numerous areas to explore when investigating issues related to disability.
What is considered a disability? This is a difficult question to answer — because the definition can vary, depending on the region, country, or culture.
From a film investigating the attempted murder of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny to a stark cautionary tale about how climate change is playing out on the Arctic coast, see the Oscar-nominated documentary shortlists.
GIJN’s weekly look at the best in data journalism examines one year of war in Ukraine, Russian casualty totals, trans coverage in the French media, and the most unexpected performances in NBA history.
