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Why Many ‘Feel-Good’ Disability News Stories Are Harmful
I can see how media coverage of disabled people can be good at highlighting injustice and discrimination against disabled people. It is not so good, however, at writing other disability stories.
In today’s politically correct climate, we are supposed to accept disabled people as they are. That statement may be the party line, but much of the media is still not reflecting these views in their articles about disabled people.
The problem with “feel good” stories
At a panel discussion on media and disability at a school of journalism I attended, the main question that came up was: “How do I handle pressure from my editors to do ‘feel good’ stories?” Unfortunately, some people love to read these stories and share them. The disability community often describes stories like these as “inspiration porn.”
“Feel good” articles are designed to give the public warm fuzzies. They describe stories such as a man having severe injuries in an accident who worked hard to walk down the aisle at his wedding.
These stories promote unhealthy comparisons
People will often comment, “I am so grateful that I do not have to go through something like that” or “Poor guy, I feel so sorry for him.” In…
