To improve the image of young people through the media and other community projects

How does your campaign have an impact on all young people?

Image of young people is something very important. We have been targeted by the media and sometimes used as the worst example of young people in Europe. We need to ensure that work that goes on across the UK which is positive is highlighted, be it through national or local media so that young people can be taken seriously and the ignorance surrounding young people in today’s society is overcome. Relations between young people and different industries (e.g. the police), need to be improved and this can only occur if young people feel they have a fair deal and treated seriously. It is unfair to generalise about the majority of young people using the example of the minority.

What would be the ultimate goal of this campaign?

To ensure young people have a fair play in the media. UKYP has done some amazing work in the last couple of years and although there still isn’t a proportional number of positive stories reported relative to the negativity surrounding young people, there has been media coverage of events and issues surrounding young people and the media has begun to consult them which is a great step forward. We should take advantage of this stepping stone and ensure we get the media on our side!!

What challenges do you expect to face if this was to become a national campaign?

The media is a massive and powerful industry. We believe that they thrive on negative stories - they are like any other business, they want the money!!! We need to make sure they realise that money isn’t everything. The impact the media has is devastating, it doesn’t help the development of young people nor does it encourage them or award them for good work that has been done. We need to try and make the media take a more positive role in society. The anti social behavior has been highlighted so much that young people feel that if we’re already being blamed for it why not take part in it. We need to get rid of this mind set.