The Media Team is both proactive and reactive in promoting the psychological therapies. 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.

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 has developed with the media and the reputation of BACP as a professional Association.

Objectives

To take and make as many opportunities as possible, to increase positive coverage of the psychological therapies and BACP.

To communicate BACP's key messages to members and the outside world.

To create positive coverage, where appropriate, of BACP’s specialist sectors.

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 BACP's conferences and events.

To forge greater links with decision-makers such as MPs and peers in all four UK nations.

Need to share the same messages

We also spend as much time as possible coming up with ideas for journalists, broadcasters and programme makers, 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 be consistent.