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Thursday Nov 13, 2008
Newsflash: young people speak out
Even the most tough-nut, savvy Press Officer will tell you how difficult it is to influence the media. Imagine how powerless a young person with no industry experience feels to change what's in the news.
And yet quite a lot of what's in the news affects us. Reports swing between demands for tougher sentences on young criminals and polemic about the latest government policy to protect the young from themselves. Constantly discussed but rarely consulted, we're developing an image that we just don't recognise at all, and it's completely outside of our control.
Or is it?
YouthNet and the British Youth Council believe in helping young people to take control of their lives. That's why we started the Respect? Campaign, which has been seeking to end unfair representation of young people for over three years. This was our thinking:
Just like racism or homophobia, the current trend for youth-bashing is a form of prejudice. And like any other prejudice, it's not going to go away without a struggle. Of course those young people that go about their lives quietly doing good are not going to get the recognition they deserve, because at the moment they're not the ones writing the news.
The third phase of the Respect? Campaign is about admitting that it's really up to us to tackle misrepresentation actively. For some people, getting their opinion printed or published or even posted online would be like flying up to the clouds in an aeroplane and asking them not to rain. But it doesn't have to be like that. The campaign is providing information, guidance and suggestions about what we can do; here are some of them:
1) Tackle the mainstream media: writing a letter to the editor or posting a comment on internet news portals reaches a surprising number of people and can be quite a buzz.
2) Comment on blogs or start your own. The internet is a network of opinions where one person's views are as valid as the next. It's the news agenda, but not as we know it – open and democratic.
3) Volunteer: do-it.org has thousands of opportunities listed under 'Marketing, PR and Media'. By volunteering as a media assistant or doing shifts on your local hospital radio, you'll be getting yourself heard and gaining experience at the same time. Two birds, one stone, and no good excuses not to!
4) Sign our pledge to do some of these things: we're hoping 1000 people will join us. Join the Respect? Facebook group to find out more.
The big launch
After some practices (girls in front? Boys in front? People at the side? People holding it up?) we were joined by Martyn Lewis, the famous ex BBC broadcaster, to do his thing with the microphone. Once we'd all stopped messing about, we think the five or six photographers managed to get some nice, striking photos, while some of us stood on the street handing out flyers to young passers by, asking them to sign our pledge and get their voice heard too.
Getting noticed as a committed young person, and being at the centre of the media's attention for once, felt really good. Ok, maybe the front page was a bit ambitious...but a little effort could help other young people understand that it's our news too!
Posted by Sophie Manning ( 12:29 PM ) Link to this post Comments[1]
