social housing BETTINA STRENSKE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO orance?


One tenant says: “Talk directly to people who live in social housing and find out how important their housing is to their personal welfare, safety and security. Do not make assumptions and don’t prejudge people.” “Don’t patronise or demonise,” adds another. Job cuts in the regional press and the disappearance of


many local newspapers have contributed to the simplistic and stereotypical coverage of housing, Peacock believes. “Local news reporters used to be very knowledgeable, covering housing and planning committee meetings, going through council agendas and minutes to find stories, but now they don’t have the time. They have to take short cuts and the stereotyping of social housing is one of these. But, although sometimes the facts in local papers are wrong, they don’t publish the hideous type of stories you get in certain national newspapers.” Nigel Pivaro, former website editor of the Tameside Reporter which, in 2012, was rescued financially by New Charter Housing Group, points out that social housing is a regular source of news for local newspapers. “You can’t demonise tenants and estates when you have to


cover the opening of a local community centre the following week,” he says. Pivaro, who has also freelanced for national newspapers, has


lived in social housing in Salford and Hackney and thinks there are not enough journalists with personal knowledge of it. “The closure of local newspapers and the increase in unpaid


internships means many journalists now come from privileged backgrounds and have absolutely no idea what it’s like to live in social housing. I have seen some national journalists on stories and they talk to people as if they are Martians,” he says. Rachel Broady agrees: “I once worked in a regional


newsroom where an experienced reporter said he believed all people in social housing were unemployed. I was surprised by such a basic lack of understanding. It’s why journalism needs people from a working class background.” Pivaro says housing is not a “sexy” subject for tabloid


newspapers so they don’t want to get into the “nitty gritty” of policies. “And some of the more serious newspapers end up flag waving for councils and developers on the grounds that regeneration is bringing improvements to an area when, in reality, many of the new homes are just not affordable for people who have lived in the area for years,” he adds. Tragically, it took the Grenfell fire to make the media take a real look at what was happening to social housing and its tenants. Even then, there were lurid stories, like the one about the Ethiopian tenant who lived in the flat where the fire started. Grenfell tenants wanted the inquiry into the fire to have a


much wider remit and to examine all the issues relating to social housing. Samuels says: “It seems the government wants to kick those issues into the long grass. We will need the help of the media to ensure that does not happen.”


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