Music and sport stars back Respect? campaign
Boxing champion Amir Khan, Mobo award-winning DJ and producer Dexplicit and critically acclaimed hip hop act Foreign Beggars are backing a campaign to improve the reputation of young people in the UK.
Called Respect?, the youth-led campaign is supported by charities YouthNet and the British Youth Council and is encouraging 16 to 24-year-olds to use the internet to speak up about media coverage that unfairly puts young people in a bad light.
James Miller of Foreign Beggars, says: "Traditional barriers of direct communication are crumbling. We exist in an age where, through the internet, it is possible to make your voice be heard no matter who or where you are.
"We're supporting the Respect? campaign because we want young people to use these tools and their voices to let journalists, the media, politicians and others in positions of power know the truth."
Foreign Beggars, Dexplicit and Khan are supporting the campaign's aim to get 1,000 young people to add their names to the Respect? pledge at www.pledgebank.com/RespectSpeakUp.
The online pledge reads: "I pledge to make my voice heard and help young people's views to get noticed. When I have an opinion on a news story, I will voice it in the media by commenting online, writing to editors of papers or magazines, or calling in to TV or radio programmes. It's our news too."
Young people who want to take action can find tips and advice on how to get their voices in the media by visiting www.TheSite.org/respect.
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Media Enquiries:
For further media information – or to arrange interviews – please contact Gabriella Jówiak at YouthNet on 020 7250 5716 or out-of-hours on 07766 660 755. Email media@youthnet.org