Tag Archives: Poverty

Workshop feedback

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The Pepys estate and Marsh Farm workshops took place in early August. We hoped to discover what people from the estates felt about poverty in the media and how people (such as themselves) are represented in the media and TV. The people from each estate vary in culture and background  (some are born into poverty and others have had it imposed upon them by circumstance).

At the Pepys estate, we had 4 participants. One of the most prevalent topics was on an article that emphasised postcode prejudice. Another popular subject of debate was the TV documentary “The Towers”. All of the participants were horrified at the inherent implications of both the article and programme.

At Marsh Farm, we had more people attend (8).  This time, with a larger group, we discussed general poverty issues as well as some interesting specifics. One such topic regarded the different types of poverty (financial poverty, spiritual poverty or emotional poverty).

At the start of each workshop, the participants were given a tutorial on how to set up and use the camera/film equipment. After this they considered relevant questions (for example: “what does it mean to be poor in the UK?” and “how does the media represent it?”). Then they took it in turn to interview each other.

Below are some comments from the participants regarding the workshops:
‘It gave me a chance to voice my opinion which I wanted to do for a long time’

‘It was an opportunity to hear what people from Marsh Farm had to say about the state of the area’

‘I found the technical side filming interesting’

‘Learning how to use the basic of the camera was good, so if I ever wanted to learn how to use the camera in the future. I have the basic knowledge’

‘It was good because we were able to put our views across that don’t always get across’.

‘The interviews reinforced my existing opinion’

Is exclusion from education exclusion from representation?

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According to a recent article in the Guardian, ‘only 176, or just over half a percent, of nearly 30,000 pupils who got three As at A Level last year were eligible for free school meals’.

If these statistics are correct, it  indicates that the poorest in society are still not accessing higher level education.   You cannot attend a good university, in most cases, if you do not have good A Levels.

What affect does this have on the media?

If you do not go to University, what chance do you have of working at the BBC or one  of the mainstream newspapers? And if none of the poorest social groups work in the main stream media, what are the chances of a fair representation of this social group?

Does poverty cause violence and the collapse of the family?

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There is a mass of data that demonstrates the link between violence, defragmented famillies and unemployment in the poorest areas. But are these symptoms of the impoverished a result of their living situation, or are they a cause of it?

You could easily be forgiven for thinking that this poverty is the result of the above problems, and many more. But a study by Richard Wilkinson in The Impact of Inequality actually contradicts this idea. unequal societies are broken societies, all of whose members suffer. Violence is more common in societies where income differences are larger, not just in things like murder rates, but in low-level arguments, racial hostility, and antisocial behaviour. Communities are more fragile in less equal societies. And political participation is lower, and political institutions less effective, in less equal societies. Wilkinson shows how it is the stress, competition and exclusion generated by living in a highly unequal society that underlies these outcomes.

What do you think? Richard Tawney, the famous historian, once said ‘we need the equal start as well as the open road’ if equality of opportunity is to mean anything. With the problems of poverty in today’s society, does he have a valid point? Should we seek to redress natural inequalities that exist within society, in order to mend the problems we face? Is violence, defragmented communities and poor political participation going to continue in these areas until we find a solution to natural inequality?

Is ‘poverty’ a financial term?

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We think of poverty as a state of being without money. But is this too narrow a scope?

Can poverty be a psychological thing, affected more by feelings of uselessness, worthlessness and being undervalued and ignored by society? Is it possible that two people living on minimum wage can have a different stance on their situation? One being happy with their lot, the other desolate and desperate.

Ultimately, can we limit the affect and definition of poverty to this financial conception we hold, or is it merely a state of mind?

The Causes of Poverty

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Conservative Party Leader David Cameron has said:

“We have to think about the causes of poverty.  We have to disaggregate the problem – to look at the various types of poverty that exist, and the factors that contribute to them.

Because for most people, material poverty is a consequence of other factors. Family breakdown, drug and alcohol addiction, unemployment, poor education…”

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Do you agree with these factors being the key reasons behind poverty?  Have you a personal experience of these factors?

Participation in the Media: People with experience of Poverty

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Spectacle has been commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to produce a DVD on Poverty and Participation in the Media. The DVD will be produced in Spectacle video workshop situations working with people with experience of poverty.

Media content will explore questions such as:
– How is UK poverty depicted in the media – TV, radio, press, online. What are good examples and what are not? Why?
– How would participants like to see their lives and situations depicted in the media? How could these be made into films and videos that will engage audiences?
– What are the stories about poverty that need to be told to a UK public that are not being told now? How could these be told engagingly? Why do these need to be told?
– How does it feel to share experiences of living on a low income to a journalist and/or on film?
– What might people worry about if asked to share their views on poverty in the media? How can their worries be reduced?
– What experience of new media do people have e.g. social networking sites, use of mobiles, blogging? What opportunities do these offer for telling the stories of life on a low income in the UK? Who would these reach?

If you are interested to participate in the workshops please use the Spectacle contact form or leave a comment here.

Co-Author this blog?

If you want to contribute to this blog on the subject of Poverty and the Media please contact Spectacle and we will register you as an editor or leave a comment.