Given up

I have yet to receive a reply from the agency and quite frankly i have given up with the media! Being a magazine journalism student, i feel quite disheartened with the media world. All i have wanted to do was show people that recovery is possible; eating disorders can be beaten and raise awareness. A lot more has to be done to make this possible....

My response - with quotes from beat ambassadors

Not as good as i would have liked but here it is :)

Hi Natasha

Thanks for you reply. I honestly don't know who I am mad at more: the media or the public. If the readers want pictures of us at our worst, I think it highlights even more that we need to promote awareness and show people that eating disorders are a serious mental health issue and not something to be taken lightly.

I am positive that me and the other 70 young ambassadors do not wish to give out photos ever. I explained to Katie why we do not want to talk about our lowest weight nor give out photos. Showing photos of us at our illest just sensationalises the story and makes out that eating disorders are all about weight. Another reason is these photos can act as triggers to other sufferers: we want to help others not make them feel worse. I would like to include some comments off other ambassadors on this subject:
"

what, so you woul dlie and make up something as serious as an eating disorder if you didnt show photos?! For goodness sake, I don't know if I feel more disheartened by the media response, or the public right now!!! That is about the most ridiculous thing ever..."

"To be honest, I think it's disgusting. If you are a good journalist, you can portray a picture through words, without it being triggering to the reader. Including pictures, I think only makes things worse, and individuals may feel that they 'have to look that thin to have en ED' whereas you can have an eating disorder at any weight - it's classed ... See moreas a psychological problem and weight, I think, is just a physical symptom. I did have an argument with a journalist a few months ago. As I'm a twin, and my twin is also ill, they were very interested in a story, up until the point where I said I will not be giving over any 'unhealthy photos' and surprise surprise, they didn't want to run the story. However, a few weeks later, I worked with a fantastic journalist from my local paper who portrayed my story so well.....with a healthy picture. If they want to use any of us for stories, they need to accept we are not going to hand over our unhealthy pictures. Not only can they be triggering for readers, we don't need reminding of how ill we were - sorry for the rant - us beat girls, we stick together "

"I agree with you all entirely. It really proves that this world we live in is.. well I don't even know how to word it. They are just obsessed with glamouring mental illnesses, especailly when it comes to eating disorders. It does nothing to help us and other people out their struggling. Just because a person may look 'healthy' it doesn't mean they ... See moresuffer any less. Then there's the whole competitive side to eating disorders, seeing who can be the thinnest etc. Showing photos of people when they were ill isn't saying anything. Kerry, like you said 'weight is just the symptom.'

I don't really know what else to say, things really need changing. They are still far too many people who are naive to the illness. It's like my friends and family, they see me now and see me as a healthy, happy 19 year old; Living, laughing, eating. But they don't seem to realise it's not always that simple. Just because I look healthy doesn't mean I suffer any less. Yea I have good days, but I also have bad days and I - and I'm sure you all do at times - have to fight it every day. I may have gone off the subject a little there but it makes me so angry!"


I really hope that you can help us by passing our comments on to the publications you work with so that maybe they may start to do positive recovery stories instead of all this negativity!


Regards


Rachel

Reply from media

Totally forgot to show my bloggers this:

Hi Rachel

Thanks for your email back to Katie, which she forwarded to me. I own Talk to the Press and am sorry to hear you feel failed by the media. I do understand there is a fine line that has to be trod between Beat desires (we have done many stories with Beat over the years) and the demands of the media generally, and we have always tried to follow this line.

It’s not about any publication thinking anyone is making up a story, but what readers want from stories and what editors want to illustrate a story. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a position where it is impossible for us to place a story about an eating disorder story without pictures, which I understand is frustrating for you.

That said, we have done many stories about recovery from eating disorders and each person (a few of whom have also had help from Beat) has told us they found it a very positive experience.

We take such things on a case by case basis, but of course if someone does not wish to give photos then that is absolutely their decision and we understand completely. If there is ever an opportunity for us to place your story without pictures, such as on radio for example, we will let you know.

Best

Natasha

Silly media!

After being annoyed at the media and told by the third time that they can't do an interview with me unless I give photos at my thinnest, I retaliated and wrote this reply:

I have to admit that I am unhappy with your answer and very disappointed. As a Beat ambassador I am dedicated to promoting awareness and showing the positive side of recovery but with the women's weekly magazines' attitudes this can not be done.

I would like to point out that your agency will possibly not work with Beat in the future. I know I can say for me and the rest of the ambassadors that we do not give any photos out of us at our thinnest. We understand the media needs to show readers that we were ill but why would we make it up about having an eating disorder? We are fed up of the media concentrating on weight. Eating disorders are not all about weight. We really want to give stories that show recovery can happen but as usual the media has failed us.

I am sorry as I really wanted to do an interview with you to show that I am an example of recovery.

Regards

Rachel

Let me know what you think!