Media and publishing websites deliver information that people rely on daily. News articles, videos, podcasts, and interactive content must all be accessible. Media companies face both ADA lawsuits and FCC requirements for digital accessibility.
Media ADA lawsuits
FCC captioning fines
News sites with violations
Access to information is a civil right. Media websites that publish news, educational content, or entertainment must ensure all users can consume their content. Video and audio content have specific captioning and transcript requirements.
Build alt text requirements into your CMS editorial workflow — configure image uploads to require descriptive alt text before publication. Establish a transcription process for all podcast and audio content, publishing text transcripts alongside or linked from each episode page. Ensure paywall modals, subscription forms, and login screens are keyboard-navigable with proper focus management and ARIA announcements. Provide text summaries and data tables as alternatives to interactive visualizations, and ensure all video players have keyboard-accessible pause, mute, and caption controls.
Yes. Every editorial image needs alt text that describes what the photo shows and how it relates to the article. For a news site publishing dozens of articles daily, this means building alt text requirements into your editorial workflow. CMS templates should require alt text before an image can be published.
All audio content published on your website, including podcast episodes, must have full text transcripts available. Transcripts should be published on the same page as the audio player or linked prominently. This allows deaf and hard-of-hearing users to access the same information available in the audio content.
Paywall modals, subscription signup forms, and login gates must be fully keyboard-navigable and screen reader compatible. If a user with a disability cannot get past the paywall to access content, that is a barrier to information access. Focus trapping in modals must allow keyboard escape, and form fields need proper labels.
Interactive charts, maps, timelines, and infographics must have text-based alternatives that convey the same data and narrative. Provide a summary description of key findings and a data table for any chart or graph. Interactive elements within visualizations must be keyboard-navigable with screen reader announcements.
Auto-playing video that includes audio violates WCAG 1.4.2 unless the video is less than 3 seconds or the user can pause, stop, or mute it immediately via keyboard. Auto-playing video also needs closed captions. Provide clear, keyboard-accessible media controls visible from the moment the page loads.
ADA website lawsuits against media & publishing businesses are increasing every year. Settlements typically range from $10,000 to $75,000+, and defense costs alone can exceed $25,000. The cost of proactive compliance is a fraction of a single lawsuit.
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