Ask Charity Weblog

TV producers and style magazines have been known to be very particular about how their case studies look. Usually they ask for pictures of prospective interviewees and do the sift themselves. Their selection process is implicit rather than explicit. However the thinking behind such requests was revealed to all the other day as this story in the Independent reveals
"The editor of Glamour magazine has apologised after a reporter issued an appeal for "photogenic" modern war widows. Jo Elvin said she was "outraged and sorry" that Military Families Against the War had been sent an e-mail asking if they could provide case-studies of women, aged between 30 and 38, whose husbands had been killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The e-mail, sent by a freelance reporter, Victoria Lambert, commissioned to write a feature, asks MFAW to arrange interviews, provided the women are attractive enough. "Glamour is very looks-conscious so, at the risk of sounding ridiculous, they need to be photogenic, or at least comfortable in front of a camera!" it read. "The editor likes to approve each case history, so when I send her a short bio ("X is aged X and lost her husband X in the war X") she likes to see a jpeg pic too. I know this is a big ask, but it's something she demands! Hey ho!" MFAW refused to co-operate. "We are sad as much as angry about it," a spokesperson said.

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ITV1 is to run a series looking at the plight of endangered species. WWF is "partnering" them and has presumably helped with the research etc. The publicity suggests it'll be a very high profile programme which involves audience participation. Viewers will be encouraged to ring in to pledge their support for the endangered animals. Broadcasters can make huge amounts of money from these calls but "the money raised will help fund projects on the ground dedicated to protecting the rare wildlife" (MediaGuardian). This is an incredible coup for WWF - getting such high profile coverage of this subject must in normal circs be difficult. The programme is made by Endemol, of Big Brother fame http://www.endemoluk.com/?q=node/243&tid=7&shownews=1

We've also noticed that the NSPCC has been collaborating with Channel 4. Raw Cuts takes stories submitted by 13-18 year olds, develops them into scripts and make short films which will be broadcast as 3 minute wonders on Channel 4 in October http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/R/raw_cuts/home.html

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We don't usually promote events but these are free and may be useful to any charity which deals with children. To celebrate their tenth anniversary, the Internet Watch Foundation are holding a series of free roadshows. The idea of the events is to raise amareness of the charity's work combatting online child abuse images. Roadshows are being held all over the country http://www.iwf.org.uk/media/page.80.htm

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Vivienne Parry, who writes on health for the Guardian, the Times and other newspapers, recently spoke to an audience of charity PRs. She used to run a charity herself and understands where we come from. She advised against ever e-mailing press releases to people like her - she deletes them all. She wants charities to pitch her an exclusive idea which, if she likes, she'll pitch to a commissioning editor. She warned against pitching to her commissioning editor and her at the same time - if the editor has already turned the idea down it makes her pitch ten times more difficult. She likes receiving e-mails with ideas but thinks snail mail is making a comeback. Things that come through the post can make more impact. She likes charity PRs to send her their cards snail mail with a covering note. She puts all her cards in a drawer and often rifles around to retrieve a card she remembers receiving.....Oh and no DVDs or videos. She won't get round to watching them.

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I mentionned Participant Films in a previous blog. Its run and funded by Jeff Skoll, who made millions from Ebay and is now ploughing them back into campaigning films like An Inconvenient Truth. Now the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust has put up money for UK campaigning films. Up to £35,000 is being offered by the Trust for one or more documentary projects that focus on issues of social justice, human rights and democracy www.britdoc.org/foundation/campaigners.php Its a great idea and an opportunity for charities to get their message on the big screen. But the money is only a fraction of what they'll need to make the films so it will be interesting to see if any actually get made - there has not yet been any UK equivalent of Super Size Me.

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