Disability News Service
The Last Word
by Leye Jeannette Chrzanowski
Copyright © The Disability News Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Since I announced the closure of the Disability News Service, I have
received a large number of e-mails and telephone calls from people who
expressed their
appreciation for the service we provided over the last four years. I
received an e-mail from one individual who asked where she could find
reliable disability-related
news on the Web. It made me think about what's out there. How do you
determine if a Web site is providing reliable news? Here are a few tips.

Call me idealistic but I don't trust a Web site or a radio show that is
sponsored by a company that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) has
filed a disability-based employment discrimination lawsuit against. Did
either the Web site or the radio show in question cover this lawsuit? Of
course
not - you don't bite the hand that feeds you. Rule number one: Don't
trust a media source sponsored by a corporation with questionable
disability-related
behavior or policies.

A number of "disability news" Web sites are sponsored by pharmaceutical
companies - some with less than stellar reputations for their research
policies
or the efficacy of their pharmaceuticals. Rule number two: Check the
content for suttle promotion of drugs, products or services of sponsors.

Government-sponsored Web sites are another story. One, in particular
comes to mind. It receives a grant from the U.S. Department of Education
(DOE). First,
the Web site is inaccessible! Second, can you really trust a
government-funded Web site to provide fair and balanced coverage of
issues that fall under
the umbrella of its funding source? Can news about special education,
vocational rehabilitation and other related issues be trusted if DOE is
funding the
media outlet? Rule number three: Be wary of government funded sites.

Another source of news and information is nonprofits. Ask yourself, "What
is the nonprofit's real agenda? To advocate for your best interest? Raise
disability
awareness? Raise raise its own visibility? Or raise money to operate the
nonprofit?" I am also concerned about a trend that I see developing among
nonprofit
disability news sources. I'm worried that people with disabilities will
receive all of their news from one source. For example, the American
Association
of People With Disabilities (AAPD) recently joined forces with Justice
for All (JFA) to provide information. No problem if the information is
unbiased
and uncensored. However, JFA has a reputation for sanitizing its content,
and a history of favoring one political party - even when it was not in
the best
interest of the disability community. Freedom of speech is a First
Amendment right, and people with disabilities who may hold different
opinions should
not be muzzled. Hopefully, AAPD will change gears and provide impartial,
apolitical information that empowers people with disabilities to make
informed
decisions. Otherwise, the organization and the disability community will
lose credibility. Rule number four: Beware of hidden agendas and
censorship.

Like everyone else, I regularly receive a steady stream of
 "action-alerts" or "impending doom" e-mails. Rule number five: Be cool,
don't react immediately,
and don't believe everything you read.

Remember, not everyone who operates a news-related Web site has a
background in journalism, and therefore may not be aware that he or she
should adhere
to certain ethical standards. Rule number six: Check out the
qualifications of those authoring and editing the content.

Finally, when it comes to finding reliable disability-related news on the
Web, consider the source - its funding and agenda - wade through the
bull, and
become a self-educated news and information junky.

That's all, folks!
Copyright


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