reporting poverty
supported, an ideological government stance against the poor in the midst of austerity rather than challenge policy or highlight social concerns. Ros Wynne-Jones of the Daily Mirror told the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation: “We need to report poverty in all its ugliness, yet without exploiting it. It is the dilemma of the photographer in a famine zone facing an emaciated child. And it is a dilemma in UK poverty terms that we are only starting to explore now.” Those seeking the truth of existing in poverty may feel
overwhelmed by the noise of the tabloids and TV but some journalists and newspapers are trying to turn the tide. In 2010 the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund was launched intending to tackle poverty, inequality and exclusion across the capital, earning recognition from David Cameron. The campaign continues and has raised £13.46 million. In 2012 the Trinity Mirror-owned Manchester Evening News reported on the Scandal of Our Hungry Children – revealing that 42 per cent of the city’s youngsters were living below the poverty line – and launched a campaign to end child hunger which secured the support of both Miliband and Cameron. Since 2011 a number of journalists have challenged themselves to live on £1 a day for a week as part of the national Live Below the Line campaign. York Press, owned by Newsquest, launched a Stamp Out
Poverty campaign in 2013 following its story about Kia Stone, whose 11-month-old baby Telan Carlton died after spending her life in a damp and overcrowded flat in York. The campaign reports on trade unions, on marches and pay rise fights, in reporting about poverty, using compassion and considered language, in complete contrast to much national coverage. The York Press campaign has won the support of the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation, a charity committed to researching the root cause of social problems and, ultimately, influencing policy in the UK. The charity has been quick to spot the politics and the social impact of editorial decisions made to depict those in need as a burden. Gavin Aitchison, who leads the York Press Stamp Out
Poverty, campaign said: “I think the campaign has resonated with a lot of readers, who themselves have experienced or seen first-hand the impact of poverty in and around York. “We feel that in York in particular there is a perception, particularly among tourists or newcomers to York, that the city is a thriving, affluent, historic city. In many ways it is. But we felt a knock-on effect of that was that the poverty that is very visible in many cities was in danger of being hidden and overlooked in York. We wanted to ensure it was given fitting attention and addressed and that something was done to try to reduce the stigma around poverty.” The Joseph Rowntree Foundation provides language guidelines supported by those on low incomes, intended to counteract the use of “scroungers, spongers, handouts and benefit culture”. It provides tips on interviews, taking photos, and encouraging those living with poverty to talk openly. It also stresses the need for accurate information.
16 | theJournalist
“ ”
Articles about benefit recipients, be they working or not, revealed a new threat to the UK – the poor
The charity explains: “The flow of stories about abuses of
the welfare system can lead to the assumption that all people receiving benefits are not only ‘on the fiddle’ but also getting a handsome income. Neither is true. While there are cases that appear to confirm such prejudices, the benefits system remains a safety net to provide a very basic income for people who would otherwise have little or nothing.” The communications charity the Media Trust provided similar advice in 2008, in partnership with the Society of Editors and funded by JRF. It states: “The current approach to stories about poverty often pigeon-holes people, tending to categorise them as heroes, victims or villains.” Gavin adds: “Local papers can change perceptions, though
obviously not overnight. All of our reporters have been shown the JRF’s guidance on reporting poverty and we make a concerted effort to ensure the language we use is considered and not unwittingly unhelpful.” The NUJ has introduced its own guidelines, developed by Manchester and Salford Branch, for reporting poverty. Branch chair, Chris Rea said: “The guidelines provide a working model that help journalists deal with potentially sensitive subject matter and a moral framework that sets a larger ethical context. Poverty demands of journalists the same rigour and observation of standards that they are expected to bring to reporting on ethnicity, gender or disability.” It might appear that little has changed, that these guidelines, not wholly embraced by a mainstream media intent on sales and political manipulation, cannot have an impact. But those who use them think they can.
Union’s poverty guide
The union’s guidelines on reporting poverty say that the NUJ: • believes that
the development of discriminatory language and the demonization of the working poor and benefit recipients, through the use of stereotypes and misinformation, is an insult to workers, trade union organisations and readers. • believes that its
members as trade unionists cannot avoid a measure of responsibility
in fighting stereotypes of the working poor and benefit recipients as expressed through the mass media. • reaffirms its total
opposition to censorship but equally the union reaffirms its belief that press freedom must be conditioned by responsibility and an acknowledgement by all media workers to resolve not to allow press freedom to be abused to slander a section of the community. • believes that
newspapers and magazines should not originate material which encourages discrimination on grounds of being working poor or a benefit recipient. • believes that editors
should ensure that coverage of social security stories should be placed in a balanced context. • will continue to
monitor the development of media coverage in this area and give support to members seeking to enforce the above aims.
From Cathy Come Home to Benefits Street
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28