Young campaigner makes stand for young people
Young campaigner Liam Pearce, 18 from Immingham in South Humberside, delivered a call to action yesterday (20 January, 2010) at a national conference, when he urged young people to speak out against negative representations in the media.
Liam was asked to deliver a keynote speech by the organisers of the event, 4Children, because of his work on the award-winning Respect? campaign, which is supported by charities YouthNet and the British Youth Council (BYC).
He spoke alongside the newly appointed Minister for Youth Citizens and Youth Engagement, Dawn Butler MP, who helped launch the Respect? campaign in 2006.
Entitled 'Perceptions of young people: turning the negative to positive', the conference addressed how local authorities and youth services can work together with young people to offset negative with positive images through engagement, empowerment and participation of young people.
Liam spoke about the difficulties young people face when trying to combat the media's representation of young people, and what young people are doing to help to improve the negative images about themselves.
Liam said during his speech: "It is impossible to stereotype all young people. To call all young people YOBs is the same as calling all women 'bad drivers'...Young people must stand up for what they believe in - young people must voice their opinions and argue for what is right.
"To combat this problem we must educate young people on how to make their voices heard and not hide them away."
The Respect? campaign is currently encouraging 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.
Ends
Media Enquiries:
For further media information – or to arrange interviews – please contact Gabriella Jozwiak or Kate Walker at YouthNet on 020 7250 5716 or out-of-hours on 07766 660 755. Email media@youthnet.org
Notes to editors
He spoke alongside the newly appointed Minister for Youth Citizens and Youth Engagement, Dawn Butler MP, who helped launch the Respect? campaign in 2006.
Entitled 'Perceptions of young people: turning the negative to positive', the conference addressed how local authorities and youth services can work together with young people to offset negative with positive images through engagement, empowerment and participation of young people.
Liam spoke about the difficulties young people face when trying to combat the media's representation of young people, and what young people are doing to help to improve the negative images about themselves.
Liam said during his speech: "It is impossible to stereotype all young people. To call all young people YOBs is the same as calling all women 'bad drivers'...Young people must stand up for what they believe in - young people must voice their opinions and argue for what is right.
"To combat this problem we must educate young people on how to make their voices heard and not hide them away."
The Respect? campaign is currently encouraging 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.
Ends
Media Enquiries:
For further media information – or to arrange interviews – please contact Gabriella Jozwiak or Kate Walker at YouthNet on 020 7250 5716 or out-of-hours on 07766 660 755. Email media@youthnet.org
Notes to editors
- The Respect? campaign was launched in 2006 in response to research, commissioned by YouthNet and the British Youth Council (BYC), which showed that young people were increasingly concerned about their negative portrayal in both the media and politics. An evaluation of the campaign's activity so far was published in August 2009. A copy of the report can be downloaded from www.YouthNet.org or www.byc.org.uk
- 4Children is the national charity dedicated to creating opportunities and building futures for all children. From children's centres to extended schools, childcare to play provision, parenting support to support for young people - 4Children is at the forefront of delivery and supporting innovative children's services ensuring that all children and families get the support they need in their community. For more information see www.4children.org.uk
- The British Youth Council (BYC) is a youth-led organisation for young people aged 25 and under across the UK. BYC links up with a community of member organisations and network of local Youth Councils to empower young people to have their say and be heard on the issues they care about. For more information see www.byc.org.uk
- In November 2008, Respect? launched a new drive to urge young people to take ownership of the media and make their opinions heard by using comment opportunities and new technology. The launch in London's Fleet Street was supported by former BBC broadcaster Martyn Lewis who asked 1,000 young people to pledge to take action into their own hands. The pledge is still open for signatures at www.TheSite.org/respect
- In July 2009, Liam Pearce was awarded a Positive Images Award by Children & Young People Now magazine for 'Best involvement by a young person in promoting positive media portrayal.'
- YouthNet is the UK's first exclusively online charity and was founded by Martyn Lewis CBE in 1995. It aims to create a socially inclusive environment where all young adults are engaged, informed and inspired to achieve their ambitions and dreams, and does this through two award winning websites, Do-it and the online guide to life for 16 to 25-year-olds, TheSite.org.