Do journalists believe poverty exists in the UK?
Do journalists accept that many people in the UK really are poor? Or is it the case that many journalists believe that people on benefits are working the system to their own advantage? How well does the media report on the realities of poverty in the UK today? Is there enough exploration of the causes of poverty, social deprivation and inequality? Are journalists at times part of the problem by re-presenting stereotypes and caricatures of poverty where they could be challenging myths and false portrayals? Are stories about poverty presented to broadcast, print and online audiences as though poverty was someone else's experience? Can a moral distinction between the 'deserving poor' and the 'undeserving poor' be detected in some media portrayals?
These are just some of the questions we considered yesterday in a conference I chaired for the marking the of new research on media coverage of poverty in the UK and a challenging . Media Trust is an extremely important organisation because it aims to "harness the skills, resources and creativity of the media industry to help voluntary organisations and charities make a difference to people's lives." Its corporate members include the 91Èȱ¬, BSkyB, Channel 4, Disney Channel UK, Guardian Media Group, ITV, News International, Newsquest Media Group, and Warner Bros.
The new study, "Media, Poverty and Public Opinion in the UK", and the new guide, "Reporting Poverty in the UK: a practical guide for journalists", were funded by the and are available online in pdf form . to the guide, and the academic research paper is .
We plan to continue the conversation on this week's Sunday Sequence, and my guests will include the author of the Reporting Poverty guide, David Seymour, former readers' editor of the Daily Mirror, and Frances Dowds from the . David Seymour says poverty is the "final stigma in Britain" and claims it is often covered "with little attempt to understand or explain what life is like for those on the bottom rung of the economic ladder."
(For more information about the sofa, .)
Comment number 1.
At 21st Nov 2008, portwyne wrote:This is a very important article about a very important guide which, from a precursory read, seems a model of its type.
I have never so struggled to find something I can say when I want to say so much. A big part of the problem is that I feel the response should be written by someone who can write in the first rather than the third person.
My experience of economic and social deprivation is entirely from the outside looking in. My understanding, such as it is, of the effects of impoverishment started about 20 years ago when I worked for a time in North and West Belfast: that period changed and my outlook, my priorities, indeed my life.
I deplore the hideous betrayal by much of the media of a whole section of our society - both those who are struggling very effectively against real oppression and those who simply cannot cope with the unimaginable burdens of a very hard daily life.
It is a shame to our society and an indictment of our media that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland, including a very large number of those who would identify themselves as 'Working Class', simply have no idea of the reality of life for those most deprived. If this guide helps change that then it is greatly to be welcomed.
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Nov 2008, SecretParaclete wrote:Ref: Social Workers and Poverty. Please refer to Social Work in Health Care Vol 46(3)2008 pps 22 -23. There is evidence of links between poverty and ill health, the integration of theory and practice and outcomes with specific financial benefits on an ongoing basis. This particular scheme won the Institute of Healthcare Management Quality Award in 2005 and continues to make a significant daily contribution to the lives of many individuals struggling with ill health and poverty.
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