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MVJ and DJA to Launch Disability Narrative Guide and Webinar Series on Reporting on Disabilities for Journalists

By December 11, 2024News

Military Veterans in Journalism and the Disabled Journalist Association have launched a new effort to create a Disability Narrative Guide and lead a webinar series on disability and disabled coverage in the media. 

The guide will be released in 2026. The webinar series will begin in 2025 and span 12 months.

The initiative will enhance media coverage of disability by equipping journalists and media professionals with the tools and resources necessary for accurate, respectful and inclusive storytelling. 

“This guide and webinar series are about shifting that perspective and making sure disabled voices are not only heard, but respected and accurately represented in the media,”” said Zack Baddof, executive director of MVJ who is himself a disabled veteran. 

This initiative has been made possible by generous support from the Ford Foundation and aligns with the Ford Foundation’s mission to advance equity and justice by fostering media practices that authentically represent the stories and experiences of the entire disabled community.

“We’re excited to partner with MVJ on this project because we know it’s going to shift how disability reporting is done—moving beyond stereotypes and giving journalists the resources they need to tell fuller, more authentic stories,” said DJA founder Cara Reedy. “This is about making sure the media tells the story of disability with us, not for us.”

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About Military Veterans in Journalism

Military Veterans in Journalism educates newsrooms, journalism schools, and non-profit organizations focusing on journalism about the need to increase diversity through higher veteran representation. Composed of more than 1,000 members since its inception in 2019, MVJ’s team of military veterans and military family members are working to create opportunities for vets through internships, fellowships or mentorships, all intended as a pipeline to get vets into the media industry.

 

About the Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.