Background
Phillip Hodson, Media Relations Consultant
Phillip is an experienced
broadcaster, presenter, author and journalist, a Fellow of BACP and accredited
registered therapist. You can therefore have
confidence that the contemporary face of counselling and psychotherapy in print
and on air can be presented with a high degree of professionalism.
Stuart Baxter, Press Officer
Stuart works alongside Phillip to
ensure that BACP retains a high media profile. Stuart deals with both
internal and external communications, Public Relations
and
Parliamentary Affairs for the Association.
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What we do
The Media Team is both proactive and reactive. Whilst most press releases
are targeted to raise awareness about a particular issue, on occasion a press
release or statement may be published in response to a political or national
event, or to clarify BACP’s public policy position.
BACP is the
first port of call for journalists and others requiring information about
counselling and psychotherapy or the nature of the therapeutic relationship.
It is the job of the media team to maintain positive contact with the media
and to manage any negative coverage. Our extensive and generally favourable
press coverage is testimony to the quality of relationships that the Media
Team have developed with the media and the reputation of BACP as a professional
Association.
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Objectives
- To take and make as many opportunities as possible,
to increase positive coverage or counselling and psychotherapy, counsellors
and BACP.
- To create positive coverage, where appropriate, of BACP's
specialist divisions and committees.
- To minimise negative coverage of all the above: this
includes crisis management work and robust rebuttal.
- To respond to negative coverage, so as to minimise the
possibility of negative stories circulating over time. This includes
damage limitation work.
- To monitor the media and brief relevant BACP colleagues
accordingly.
- To produce good quality materials for the media.
- To use Media Team Members as regional spokespeople and
all members as 'eyes and ears' for better internal information and
communication.
- To promote the BACP conference and other events.
- To forge greater links with decision-makers such as
MPs and peers in all four UK nations.
- To communicate BACP's key messages to members and the
outside world.
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Need to share
the same messages
We also spend as much time as possible in coming up with ideas for
journalists, whether these are new research studies, campaigns, services
about to be launched,
or a comment on a current news story. It is really helpful if the divisions
at BACP use our services to consult, co-ordinate and communicate
our basic messages.
We have spent a lot of time working out what BACP needs to say about itself.
In today’s competitive and media-sensitive environment we need to sing
in harmony.
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Examples
of our work
To read the latest BACP press releases and media coverage please visit www.bacp.co.uk/media
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For further information about BACP, please contact Stuart Baxter,
Press Officer, on 0870 443 5252 or email stuart.baxter@bacp.co.uk |
