ESRI’s Kim Allen joined Daniel Silver (Social Action Research Foundation) on Mike Sweeney’s BBC Radio Manchester show today. (Click on the link and listen from 1hr 11mins.)

The two were on the show defending level-headed decency while also promoting the event they are hosting:

Does ‘Poverty Porn’ undermine the Welfare State?

Thursday 6th November, 17:00-20:00 @ Z-Arts, Hulme, Manchester

This event, co-hosted by Social Action & Research Foundation (SARF) and Dr Kim Allen, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), will focus on the relationship between welfare policy and media representations of poverty. It will be informed by recent debates about so-called ‘poverty porn’. Presented as ‘documentary’ and referenced by coalition politicians as evidence for the need for welfare reform, these programmes raise questions on the impact of stigmatising media portrayals of poverty on government policy and public attitudes towards welfare. We will have panel discussions with the media, politicians, academics and people from the wider community.