101 Thank you and thoughts on the media

100,100 Downloads and 100 programmes and that with an 18 month gap in between! This one on the media! I needed to say thank you to all the guests and listeners who made the podcast thrive. It’s been fantastic and I look forward to it continuing. So many fine people with insight and experience. I have submitted some videos to the http://thegisw.org website on social work and the media. Please have a look. You may have to enrol ( free ) but there are some great talks and courses. Look under ‘featured courses’. Thought I’d give a taster here for this anniversary programme. All my working life I’ve watched my profession defend itself in the court of media opinion. When you’re starting out there is some strength gained from an excess of idealism and enthusiasm. There were more times when you felt able to dream that your work alone would demonstrate the truth. In helping the vulnerable in our communities we would illustrate inequality and public opinion would slowly change. Previously, during the years I was closely involved with the professional association, I saw the different levels of respect and engagement in the media with social work in other industrialised countries. I could never fully understand the reasons why this wasn’t the case in the UK. Was it that we were still in the death throes of having an empire and ruling half the world and so acknowledging mass poverty and deprivation at home was unthinkable? Could it be some residual Victorian construct, sweeping the troubled and vulnerable under the carpet and including those who support them, with vague murmuring about charities being better placed to do the work? Thanks to all for staying with the podcast. Look out for many wonderful guests to come. Give your comments on Speakpipe at the side of this message. Thanks as always to https://albadigitalmedia.com for technical support.