View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
December 4, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Press quizzed on disabled staffing

By Press Gazette

Disability Now: wrote to all national newspaper editors last week

Disability Now magazine has launched a campaign to try to find out how many disabled people are employed by national newspapers.

The move follows the results of a DN survey of media colleges in the summer, which showed there were very few disabled students on journalism courses.

In the survey, which was backed by the NUJ, the magazine quoted a journalism course leader at De Montfort University, Leicester, saying the industry was “not a warm, supportive environment” and there needed to be a “fundamental cultural shift” in the media’s attitude.

DN editor Mary Wilkinson said: “We realised that one of the reasons why the results were unsatisfactory was because it is very difficult for disabled people to get jobs on national newspapers, so we thought we’d ask the nationals.”

Newspaper editors were sent a letter by DN last week asking them how many journalists they employed and how many were disabled.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

They were asked if newsrooms were accessible for people with mobility problems or sensory impairments and whether they had made any changes to improve access.

The survey also asked whether editorial staff received training on the reporting of disability issues and whether editors used the Government’s “two ticks” Positive About Disabled People symbol when advertising jobs.

Finally, they were asked to sign a pledge – backed by the minister for disabled people, Maria Eagle – to work towards ensuring their employment policies better reflect the fact that 12.7 per cent of those working or available for work are disabled and to cover the reporting of disability issues in training courses.

Wilkinson told Press Gazette: “I hope we get a response. I’ll be watching the newspapers very closely to see which ones respond and which do not.

“It will be very bad if it looked as though they’d taken one look at this and thrown it in the bin.”

By Ruth Addicott

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network