abilityNEWS is dedicated to the responsible publication of news and information for the disability community in Australia.

We always strive for accuracy. If we report on events that we cannot verify we will always attribute that information to a source. We cannot, however, be held responsible for claims that are made by other individuals, publications, or organisations.

We are dedicated to reporting a wide variety of viewpoints and opinion in the belief that engaging in discussion is the best way of arriving at the truth.

TLDR: Our reporting is driven by a couple of pretty simple principles.

• We are working for a community, not just people with disability, but everyone who considers themselves engaged with these issues.
• We believe a community cannot exist without shared information to enable them to take their own decisions.
• Our business is to report the facts. We are engaged in telling you about the way the world is, and not the way it should be.
• We want to hear from you. We do not know everything and we can only report what we are told. Please engage with us if you want to help.

Principle 1:

What makes our journalism different

In so many ways, our journalism will strive to be just the same as the stories produced by any other good news outlet: relevant and well told, good stories. What makes us different will be the way we expect these stories to make a difference. We will be driven by traditional news values: providing information that is immediate and relevant to our community. What will be different is the way these stories are told.

Their aim is unashamedly to change the world. We believe that providing accurate, focussed information from an impartial point-of-view will give people the knowledge they need to make the right choices so that they can live their best possible lives.

So while our editorial choices will be driven by traditional ideas about story-telling – we are not an outlet that will only focus on ‘good news’ stories – the difference is that our output will be focused on empowering our community and helping people to understand what’s happening that’s relevant in the world around us.

Principle 2:

The way we talk about people

Everybody has a right to their dignity. When gathering news our journalists will only seek personal information that is in the public interest. We will never mean to unduly intrude on the privacy of individuals and always attempt to show respect to everybody we encounter in the course of gathering news.

Equally, our journalism will be driven by a desire to understand and reveal the whole truth. We will not shy away from confronting imagery or detail as we tell other peoples stories. What makes our stories different is the driving force that animates them. We will always seek to ensure that we have left the world in a better place than it was before the story was compiled.

In this respect, and for this purpose, although our journalists will always identify themselves, we will not shy away from exposing crime, anti-social conduct, inappropriate behaviour, lying, or other activities not in the interests of our community.

Principle 3:

Accuracy

We will always aim to be accurate. We will never hide facts simply because they ‘get in the way of a good story’. We will never knowingly make assertions unless we believe they are soundly based on truth. Our aim is to always take steps to ensure any information we publish is accurate, complete and up-to-date.

We will always seek to make clear our sources and distinguish clearly between fact and opinion. In this regard, however, it is important to note that we see our role as broader than the simple provision of information alone. We will publish comment and opinion, the difference is that these will always be based on fact, clearly distinguished from news pieces, and labelled as such.

Principle 4:

Security of personal information

We will respect the privacy of individual members of our community and never sell their personal information to others seeking to exploit this for money or profit. We will always make make every effort to ensure any personal information we collect is carefully protected from misuse, loss, or unauthorised use.

Principle 5:

Anonymity of sources

The normal principle is that we will disclose the source of every piece of information. If a source has requested confidentiality on anonymity, we will provide this where we believe this is necessary and appropriate.

Principle 6:

Correction, fairness and balance

If we discover we have published information that is wrong we will always seek to correct it as soon as possible.

We will always attempt to ensure fairness and balance in our original articles. If we fail in this endeavor we guarantee to provide a reasonable and swift opportunity for an appropriate, balancing response.

Principle 7:

Sensitive information

We will not gratuitously emphasise sensitive personal information unless it is relevant and in the public interest.

Nor will we exploit anybody who has been caught up in events we are reporting on. Individuals have the right to refuse or terminate an interview or photographic session at any time.

We may choose to report any information that is available to the public, although any such reports will attempt to be fair and balanced. They should not identify relatives or friends of people accused or convicted of crime unless the reference to them is necessary for the full, fair and accurate reporting of the crime or subsequent legal proceedings.

Principle 8:

Disability issues

As a general guide to reporting on disability issues we use and endorse the guidelines for reporting outlined in the Diversity Australia Reporting Handbook.

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