wfn.org | Media gives us a raw deal, say Christian organisations

["Press" <press@eauk.org>]

Evangelical Alliance launches new media consultancy service

For Immediate Release: 5 February 1999

Christians get a raw deal from the media - that is the message 
from 70 per cent of Britain's leading Christian organisations 
who responded to a survey published today by the Evangelical 
Alliance UK (EA). Gavin Drake, the Alliance's senior press 
officer said, "This survey highlights the widespread distrust or 
even fear of the secular media that seems so prevalent among 
the vast majority of Christians in the UK. The way that Glenn 
Hoddle has been miscast as an evangelical Christian by 
national and broadcast media over the past few days has only 
served to highlight the need for a strong, accurate voice 
communicating the public statements of Christian 
organisations."

The Evangelical Alliance released the survey results on the 
day it launched a new media consultancy service, designed to 
help its members deal with the media. EA MEDIA 
CONSULTANCY will be run from Whitefield House by Iain 
Taylor, a PR professional with 14 years experience in 
commercial PR consultancies.  It aims to help Christian 
organisations large and small develop and implement 
appropriate strategies for dealing with the media. 

The new service is available by the hour, on a project by 
project basis or on longer-term contracts.  Fees have been set 
well below prevailing commercial rates. EA Media 
Consultancy already has three clients - Christian financial 
services company The Banner Group, Youth For Christ and 
the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association. Luis Palau will be 
leading a mission to the North West of England in May this 
year.  

The survey also found that 30 per cent of respondents felt they 
had suffered at the hands of the press. But although members 
were wary of the media, they acknowledged its undoubted 
influence and importance. Although only 33 per cent believed 
they currently benefit from media exposure, rather more than 
twice that number - 70 per cent - thought that a higher profile 
would enable them to operate more effectively.

The survey also asked where organisations sought coverage.  
While the great majority (72 per cent) favoured the Christian 
press, only 22 per cent thought that the national press was 
appropriate. More than half of the respondents (61 per cent) 
considered higher exposure in the local and regional press 
worthwhile, and as many as 48 per cent were keen to obtain 
coverage on TV and radio (including local stations)

The Evangelical Alliance also asked how its members 
currently deal with the media. Unsurprisingly, given the cost of 
employing PR professionals, only 15 per cent used external 
PR consultants, and less than a third of these were paid on 
long term 'retainer' contracts. The vast majority of Christian 
organisations ask existing staff to deal with the media 
alongside their normal responsibilities.  Only four per cent 
employed specialist full time staff for this task.

Iain Taylor commented: "The results of our survey, which we 
hope to carry out annually, make very interesting reading. It is 
obvious that many Christians have either been on the receiving 
end of hostile coverage or distrust the media for some other 
reason. 

"At the same time, however, they recognise that the press is 
potentially an enormously powerful tool for telling both 
Christians and the unchurched about what they do and what 
they stand for.

"While many of the larger and wealthier Christian 
organisations are prepared to invest in PR professionals to 
communicate their key messages, for many this is not a 
realistic option. With so much Good News Christians can 
share, we have decided to launch this new service in order 
that organisations may make their voices heard more 
effectively."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Iain Taylor, 41, will be responsible for the day to day running of 
EA Media Consultancy, with the assistance of Gavin Drake 
and Jill Howard from EA's press office. Iain has 14 years in 
commercial PR, the last five of which were spent running his 
own consultancy business in the West End of London. He 
was a member of St Helen's, Bishopsgate for many years, 
before moving with his young family to Kent, where he attends 
his local evangelical church. 

Organisations wanting to contact EA Media Consultancy 
should telephone Iain Taylor on 0171-207 2107 or write to him 
at EA Media Consultancy, Whitefield House, 186 Kennington 
Park Road, London, SE11 4BT.

EA Media Consultancy is a trading name of Evangelical 
Alliance Developments Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the 
Evangelical Alliance UK.

For further information, contact: 

Iain Taylor, itaylor@eauk.org
0171-207 2107 or + 44 171 207 2107

Gavin Drake, gdrake@eauk.org 
0171 207 2117 or + 44 171 207 2117 

Jill Howard, jhoward@eauk.org 
0171-207 2116 or + 44 171 207 2116 

Evangelical Alliance UK, 
Whitefield House, 
186 Kennington Park Road, 
London, SE11  4BT 

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