Covering disability in Italian journalism. Language, practices and perspectives in mainstream and alternative media

Journalism has a key role in the social construction of diversity in the public sphere. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between disability and journalism in Italy, which has been largely unexplored hitherto. After proposing a literature review concerning disability-related journalism and ethics, we followed the HOI - Hierarchy of Influence model as a theoretical resource to investigate in depth the interplay between professionals and social, institutional and organisational systems. The research is based on 17 in-depth interviews with Italian journalists who have been covering disability for years both in mainstream and in alternative media. The analysis focused on their perceptions and practices in the daily newsmaking processes. We reconstructed the experiences among professionals and in the working practices of newsrooms. We found a network of mutual influences between individual, organisational and institutional levels that tends to force the issue of disability to the margins of the journalistic work. In a few relevant exceptions, there emerged a demand for the journalists’ potential in the mainstream and alternative media. This suggests the emergence of a disability journalism culture, regardless of editorial approach, in which the individuality of the journalist is central.