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Training part 2

Over the last few weeks we have looked at TV and newspapers. We have compared how different channels show news stories and then checked to see how newspapers tell the same stories. We looked at some of the things in people's lives, how we could make a story out of what we found out, and perhaps very importantly how we could get a journalist to show an interest.

We had a giggle when looking at newspapers, we asked people to turn the page and say what caught their eye first. Poor Peter and Rob had the Sun in front of them and we all knew what was coming! Still it was a very interesting exercise, try it sometime: turn the page and note what catches your eye. This helped to illustrate why journalists and advertisers like to get their stories on pages 1, 3, 5 or 7. The eye will naturally scan the right side of a paper as the pages are turned. This is why key stories, photos or ads are usually found here...unless of course you have the Sun in front of you.

We wanted to see what it was like to be journalists or an editor. Everyone was given a subject to research, using old papers. Rosie was voted editor and Peter was chosen as the picture editor. The aim was to put together our own paper, within a deadline, using cuttings from the old papers. Everyone got stuck in, we all felt the pressures that editors must feel, so maybe we might cut them a bit of slack next time we have a story for the local press.

Training part one

After finding 10 people to be in the team we began the training in August 2007. We are adapting a course written by Marion Jenner, who worked with Learning Disability Media. Marion has been a great help to us and continues to support what we are doing.
The first few weeks were about learning to work together and finding out what everyone could already do. We did some work on self-advocacy skills to give people the confidence to speak up. People put me to shame, they knew far more about TV than me. My homework was to watch more TV, especially the soaps- unfortunately the dog has eaten my homework!
None of the training sessions are about sitting still and listening to me talk. We have lots of activities and lots of fun. Sometimes we watch a film or TV programme and talk about how it shows people with learning disabilities. Over the next few weeks we will share our views on some of these and find out what you think.

How the project works

The Uncover Media Project, funded by The Big Lottery Fund, is aiming to change the way that the media portrays people with learning disabilities - including increasing coverage and hopefully changing public perceptions. As project co-ordinator my role is to support the two project workers and the volunteers we recruit to the team.
Along with the project workers, I have been adapting a University level media training course, to make it fully accessible and interactive to people with learning disabilities. Together we are learning how to be media savvy. I have to admit to having had a limited knowledge of the media and being very wary of how it all worked before starting the project. Mainly, this is based on previous experiences of how earlier projects had been dealt with.
Over the next few weeks I will share with you how the training is going and how, as a team ,we are getting ready to take on the media. We would love to hear from people working within the media, organisations that support people with learning disabilities, and of course most importantly people who have a learning disability. We would like to hear about your experiences from both sides of the issue. We would also like to hear about any positive coverage in local media, that we might otherwise miss.

Thanks, Denise