A recent spate of Parkinson's related headlines – from miracle pumps to worm-based solutions – have had the Movers and Shakers questioning exactly how the condition is portrayed in the media. Are we getting a good balance between raising the salience of the diseases ill effects, on the one hand, and inspiring hope on the other? To discuss this, the (rather depleted) team in the pub are joined by a top newspaper editor and the Parkinson's UK's media bod.
By Podot
Each week Rory Cellan-Jones guides us between the laughs and moans in the pub. To read Rory's summary of this week's episode click here.
Guest Biographies
Becky Barrow
Becky Barrow is the news editor of The Sunday Times, a job which she has been doing since 2017. She is involved in all types of stories from crime to the royal family, health to education, and has been behind many of the articles about Parkinson’s which the newspaper has run in the last few years.
Before joining the newspaper, she worked as a journalist at The Daily Telegraph (1997-2005) and the Daily Mail (2005-2014).
She is married, has three children and lives in London, and volunteers as a reading assistant at a local primary school. Her mother, who is 82, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 52.
Juliet Tizzard
Juliet Tizzard is Director of External Relations at Parkinson’s UK where she leads the charity’s communications, information and campaigning work. Her team is behind the charity’s recent rebrand, runs the Parkinson’s UK website, PR and marketing output, social media channels and gets in front of politicians and NHS leaders to lobby for better public services for people with Parkinson’s. But her favourite bit of the job is reviewing bids for funding Parkinson’s nurses and therapists through the charity’s pump-priming grant programme - helping to address the massive gaps in the Parkinson’s NHS workforce.
Sharon Barbour
Sharon Barbour works as a BBC Health Correspondent, her work has regularly featured on national outlets on tv, radio and online.
She has a track record of powerful, original and exclusive stories for the BBC - from investigations revealing serious problems with IT systems across NHS hospitals, to significant medical breakthroughs.
Alongside this she also works as a producer and has reported on stories which have led BBC National flagship programmes including the News at 6, News at 10, and BBC World.
For radio, She has featured on the Radio 4 Today programme, The World Tonight, PM, Radio 2 and 5Live. And made podcasts herself for programmes such as '5 Minutes on..' on BBC Sounds.
Online, her exclusive stories have made the front page - and reached audiences up to 2 million.
A note from Juliet Tizzard...
Over the years, I’ve managed charity and government communications in a range of different areas - from fertility treatment, to covid vaccine research and now Parkinson’s. The issues are the same for patients and the charities that represent them: how can you get journalists to pay attention in a crowded media landscape?
Despite the fact that Parkinson’s often seems overlooked and ignored, media coverage about Parkinson’s has grown over the last few years and the general public has a better understanding of the fact that the symptoms are so variable. The Movers & Shakers have made a difference here for sure, as has John Stapleton’s recent reveal that he has Parkinson’s. And Parkinson’s UK’s bigger presence locally has prompted more regional and local news coverage of the amazing efforts of Parkinson’s fundraisers and volunteers.
When we do get media coverage, it doesn’t always help! Recent examples of media stories about adaptive DBS and the produodopa pump remind us that journalists and news outlets aren’t always able (or willing!) to present the facts in a measured and balanced way. I find it particularly frustrating that media stories around adaptive DBS and produodopa talked about miracle cures and breakthroughs but didn’t mention the fact that most people with Parkinson’s can’t get access to them. As a result, Parkinson’s UK is often fielding enquiries from people about how to get hold of the latest new treatment when the NHS doesn’t seem to offer them. But that’s OK - we’re always happy to give that support and information to our community and help educate the wider public.
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