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Working with the media

Learn how The Fostering Network works with the media to raise the profile of foster care, highlight the need for more foster carers, and challenge stereotypes. Discover the achievements, challenges, and strategies used to promote foster care through media campaigns.

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Working with the media

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  1. Working with the media Promoting foster care and creating change

  2. Who we are • Jackie Sanders, media and communications manager • Part-time, oversees all media campaign work • Naomi Westland, senior media officer • Part-time, runs press office • Matt Cooper, senior media officer • Part-time, runs press office • Ellie Jones, media and communications assistant • Full-time, supports the team across all media campaign work t: 020 7620 6425 e: media@fostering.net www.fostering.net/media

  3. What we achieve through the media • Raise the profile of fostering • Highlight the need for more foster carers • Change perceptions of fostering and the role of foster carers • Challenge perceptions about children and young people in care • Put pressure on decision makers, both centrally and locally • Support our members • Publicise our campaigns and events • Build the reputation of the Fostering Network

  4. The Fostering Network in the media • Take calls from over 500 journalists a year • Put out more than 40 news stories a year • Coverage in more than 1,000 print, online and broadcast outlets, mainly national • More than 100 TV and radio interviews with staff and representatives • Coverage during Foster Care Fortnight 2009 reached audience of over 30 million

  5. Fostering in the media - positives • Media generally supportive and positive • Respect the work foster carers do and difference they make • Keen to hear inspirational stories • Interest in fostering growing • Post baby Peter, rising numbers of children coming into care • When and why children come into care • Financing and structuring of the care system • Role of fostering and shortage of foster carers • Peaks in media coverage • Foster Care Fortnight and Together for Change • Controversial issues - smacking, smoking, and information sharing

  6. Fostering in the media - challenges • Media like a negative story • When foster care goes wrong • Children let down, placement moves, failures by fostering services… • Challenge of negative coverage • Image of and outcomes for young people in care • Abuse or poor treatment of fostered children • Stereotypes of foster carers and children in care

  7. Fostering in the media - challenges • Misleading coverage • Fostering just a path to adoption • Sensationalism vs accuracy • Old language – ‘foster mum’, ‘saints’, ’volunteers’ • Competition for space • Media interest in adoption and residential care • Other social/child care stories • Other child care charities

  8. Educating and informing the media • Role of fostering and foster carers is changing… • A professional career choice • Foster carers are increasingly child care experts • Working in a team alongside other professionals • New skills and qualities of the modern foster carer • And thanks to our work so is media perception... • Increasing recognition and acceptance within trade media • Awareness and understanding growing amongst national media • However… • Mainstream media largely still has ‘old view’ of fostering • We need to challenge old stereotypes and inaccurate reporting

  9. How we educate the media • Through campaigning: • Together for Change (status, support, payments, learning and development) • Leaving care • Outcomes for young people • Through Foster Care Fortnight • Evolving the recruitment message: • 2004: Shortage of 10,000 foster carers • 2005: Think about fostering • 2006: Fostering brighter futures • 2007: Faces of foster care • 2008: Fostering: recognise the qualities you’ve got • 2009: Fostering: a career that changes lives

  10. How we do it - campaigning • Together for Change • Launch • Support survey • Pay report – Love Fostering, Need Pay • Future of Foster Care debate • Cost of Foster Care report

  11. How we do it – Foster Care Fortnight • Get strapline right • Mix of news, features, case studies, articles, radio phone-ins, events, celebrities, media partnerships etc. • Adapt our message • Long lead publications • Editorial for niche magazines • Media partnerships • News stories

  12. How we do it - case studies • Essential for quality coverage • Bring theme and message to life • Work with foster carers and young people • Keep database and offer media training • Illustrate stories creatively • Provide an expert voice • BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour – Age report BBC Breakfast – Together for Change The Times – information sharing

  13. How we do it – incoming enquiries • Trade stories • National and regional stories • Features • Documentaries • Dramas/soaps

  14. Working together… • Sharing plans e.g. Foster Care Fortnight • Foster Care Fortnight workshops • Ticker stories and news releases on our website • Foster carers and young people sharing stories • What else would be useful?

  15. Thank you Naomi Westland Senior Media Officer The Fostering Network T: 020 7620 6425 media@fostering.net

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