Making Social Work News / Edition 1

by Meryl Aldridge

Overview

Social work has recently received some dreadful news coverage, but the most extravagant headlines and accusations centre on local authority social work with children. Moreover, such accusations stem almost exclusively from the national press. In Making Social Work News, Meryl Aldridge widens the debate of social work and its representation by the news media. The book falls into three parts, the first providing students and practitioners with a basic understanding of the day-to-day working and commercial logic of the UK press. The second part examines the press coverage of social work itself, exploring its considerable variation, comparing different news treatments between broadsheet and tabloids, and between national and local papers. The final part considers whether social work has particular difficulties in defining its goals and lobbying on its own behalf. It concludes with some reflection on the importance of doing so now that marketing has become part of the policy process. Making Social Work News will be invaluable to all students and lecturers in social work, sociology and social policy as well as media and cultural studies. It will also be essential reading for all social work professionals, particularly those involved in training.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415074414
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/11/1994
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1340L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Meryl Aldridge is Senior Lecturer in Social Studies at the University of Nottingham.

Table of Contents

Introduction Part I News and newspapers 1 How the press works Part II The case studies 2 A child dies 3 Abuse is alleged 4 Elderly people—the invisible clients 5 Courting coverage—probation and the press 6 Good news about social work Part III Social work news and society 7 Reacting to attack 8 Professions, the state and social work 9 Social work and the press: the prospects for peace

Editorial Reviews

Meryl Aldridge provides a well-informed an dinformative account of the representation of a range of social work issues in the media. ... a book that breaks new ground in helping us t understand the relationship between social work and the news media. ... it is a welcome addition to the literature makes a number of important and significant points and in the process, provides, considerable empirical evidence to illustrate and support the points of debate.' - British Journal of Social Work

‘... really useful and readable account of how social work has been treated by the media, ... essential reading for CPOs and for all students. This short review cannot do justice to the thorough and convincing analysis and the useful pointers for developing a strategy.' - Probation Journal

‘This book has much to interest all those concerned with contemporary British society and I hope its readership will extend beyond those who are interested in social work, the media and sociology' - Issues in Social Work Education

From the Publisher