Why Are Disabled Journalists Still Not Covering Disabled Content?

The release of "Deaf President Now!" is casting an eye on the lack of Deaf and disabled journalists

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Last week saw the release of the Apple TV+ documentary, Deaf President Now!, directed by Davis Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco. I’m still waiting to watch it but from what I’ve been told it’s a Crip Camp-esque look at an underrepresented moment in disability history. I’m excited to watch it. But in seeing the various reviews and interviews start to roll out in promotion for it I noticed the continuation of a sad trend: No Deaf or disabled critics were doing interviews or writing stories about it.

This is something that happens far too often when the few disabled-centric movies Hollywood deigns to give us come out. Most outlets, especially trade-based ones, don’t have Deaf or disabled writers on staff, and with freelance budgets all but non-existent these days it’s far easier to just task a hearing/abled journalist on staff with it. But what makes everything more upsetting is hearing from Deaf and disabled entertainment journos who have tried to get ahead of the game and actively pitch covering these films.

Deaf author and journalist Sara Novic took to social media last week to discuss how she was ghosted by various outlets after offering to write authentic coverage about the movie. When I took to social media to see if I could read any reviews or coverage on Deaf President Now! written by Deaf or disabled journalists I got one response: a link to Sara’s review she decided to write for her own website.

I recall complaining about the lack of disabled people in entertainment spaces once and having a journalistic colleague ask whether I was upset about it in general, or upset that I wasn’t the one being asked? It’s something I’ve returned to a lot in discussing the lack of Deaf/disabled critics in these jobs because A) this person assumed I was only complaining to get a job and, by extension, assumed I thought I was the only disabled journalist worth covering these topics and B) because the issue remains today.

I’ve always said I don’t want to be the only disabled journalist writing about these things, and I shouldn’t be. I don’t know the specific limitations Deaf writers face, all I can do is funnel that through being a disabled wheelchair user. Two different life experiences. I do, however, try to use my platform and name as a disabled journalist to, hopefully, make people more open and aware of Deaf/disabled writers in general. But, these days, I don’t think anything is working. The coverage of Deaf President Now! illustrates that websites either don’t care about authentic writing, don’t know any Deaf/disabled critics, or don’t want to put in the time and effort to find them. Though, let’s be real, it’s probably all three.

And, yes, times are tough in the journalism space. If you need a reminder of that I urge you to read the entirety of my “Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” series. It is easier to find someone to review or write about a movie who you’re already paying. The fact that Deaf President Now! is co-directed by acclaimed documentarian Davis Guggenheim is no doubt just enough of a pass for an editor to give it to a hearing person. It’s hard enough to get coverage for anything in a landscape where an inordinately large amount of established journalists are out of work or have limited opportunities for writing, and those still working at trades are overburdened and doing the work of at least three people. So we should be grateful that this movie is getting any type of love. But, I don’t know about you, I’m sick of being grateful that others are caring about these topics and more focused on: hire people to dive into these topics who understand them.

And, before someone inevitably drops this in the comments, journalists can and should be able to write about anything. The coverage for this and other disabled movies should they are! The issue is that Hollywood pumps out a small handful of Deaf and disabled content a year and, like the filmmaking world in general, if Deaf/disabled journalists can’t even write about content that’s about them…how the hell does one expect to get more Deaf and disabled journalists in these spaces? Then again, maybe the reality is one I’ve talked about for years: no one expects Deaf and disabled journalists in these spaces. Ever. This is something certainly more in vogue in our current “DEI is dead” era. Hell, not even white women can get a job these days.

How do we fix this? Honestly, it’s not on journalists to fix it. The ones who care about this topic are doing it by writing reviews for their own outlets and at least trying to put some accurate discourse into the world. The ones who can and should be fixing this are website editors and PR people. Editors, if you don’t have any Deaf or disabled journalists, make this the one time you use your freelance budget and seek out someone to cover it. And not just for the review but for junket interviews! Editors, it will save you the embarrassment of having a journalist unskilled in disability rhetoric make an easy faux pas. I once had a PR person send me a list of “appropriate phrases” before I interviewed a disabled actor and when I said, “I’m disabled so I already know” they were so relieved.

PR folks, you also have power here. Emphasize when you do your publicity outreach that you want Deaf and disabled journalists. Also, and this is part of a broader issue I should probably discuss in a future article, take chances on smaller sites. Yes, we know the trades have the widest reach but with so many established and long-time journalists laid off and starting Substacks if they’re still writing it’s worth it to court them. If “any publicity is good publicity” going back to a journalist and saying, “We want coverage anywhere based on your reputation” the coverage will come. Will you get 100K people reading it which translates into maybe a quarter actually watching the movie? Or a journalist with an established following whose readers DO actually watch the movie? (I call this “Kristen’s Conclave Principle.”)

The point is there’s only so much Deaf and disabled journalists can do before the real work has to be taken up by those with power, and I ain’t seeing it. Till then, I’m excited to see more people watching (and learning) from Deaf President Now!