We had Channel 4 in town this week. Some bright spark in their news team decided that, with the World Economic Summit in progress in Davos, Switzerland, it would be a nice conterpoint to report from Davos Drive, Biddulph, North Staffordshire, on how ordinary people were being affected by the current economic climate. The project that employs me was asked to help find them some...
I'm sure I've explained before that's always been difficult to get clients to step up for these things and share their private circumstances with the world, but it gets harder with each successive TV show supposedly addressing the 'reality' of life on benefits. You struggle even more when it's a 'we're filming tomorrow' situation.
Our paid workers don't count as 'ordinary people', of course. I'm the first to admit that the work they do and their commitment to it makes them a pretty extraordinary set of people, but they are affected by the same issues as everyone else - stagnant wages, rising fuel costs, unaffordable house prices and job insecurity in particular. The problem for a TV news programme is that we have a sound grasp of why all this is happening and which Government policies are contributing to the misery. But 'ordinary people' aren't there to comment on the bigger picture, unless they want some ill-informed remarks about immigration. News programmes bring in economists and think-tank people in suits to explain the serious stuff.
Our volunteers are borderline 'ordinary people', and at a pinch it seemed they would do. I had my fingers crossed that two in particular might go for it, but it was a lot to ask with the fall-out from 'Benefits Street' still very toxic. A very articulate woman with personal experience of the disability benefit lottery and the Bedroom Tax, who has been willing to talk to our local paper - not themselves always bastions of truth where Social Security matters are concerned - drew the line at any dealings with Channel 4 as a direct consequence of their involvment in that show, and genuine fear of a backlash. Understandably so, as the latest 'word on the street' is that some residents of James Turner Street have been rehoused for their own safety.
One man was prepared to put his head above the parapet. Channel 4 weren't sure at first that he counted as an 'ordinary person' as he was educated to degree level and beyond, but they went for it and a short interview was shown - apparently minus everything he had to say about Foodbanks, the Bedroom Tax and Council Tax, though he still made some strong points and the very fact that someone of his calibre is without work speaks volumes. It's also come to light that they filmed at the Biddulph depot of the Stoke-on-Trent Foodbank, but none of that was used at all. Perhaps if Justin Bieber hadn't crashed his Ferrari...?
The 'ordinary people' they spoke to included a young man in work but on a contract guaranteeing only 20 hours a week. He'd had much more over Christmas - which was just as well as he's due to become a father soon - but now things were quieter. No-one there made the point that contracts like this play havoc with entitlement to Tax Credits for low-waged workers - 'ordinary people' don't find this out until they try to claim or are tackling an overpayment, and economists and think-tank people don't deal with the micro-economics of these things, but a CAB worker or volunteer could have made the point.
I'm also cynical enough to wonder why the cameracrew or editor felt we needed a long, lingering look at the tattoos on the lad's arms hot on the heels of the despicable Edwina Curry's suggestion that Foodbank users waste their money on them rather than feeding their kids.
In short, the item felt like a missed opportunity. It's a crying shame, because I rate Channel 4 news as the best on the box and expect better - a few years ago they did a brilliant item about the failings of the Employment and Support Allowance system, working with our staff and clients for a sound, in-depth exploration of the issues. By contrast, this was a gimmick. You had to feel sorry for poor Jackie Long, standing in the North Staffordshire sleet while Faisal got the Davos ticket, though it could have been worse for her - she might have had that excruciating 'Go Compare' style tenor tacked on to her report!
