Media and Social Work

Afrin Jahan, Md. Mahbubur Rahman

Abstract: Media plays a substantial role providing the public with information about social workers, the people they serve and the public perception of issues affecting vulnerable group. This write-up provides a platform for public discussion and plays a key role in forming public opinion about what social workers do and how well they can do it. Negative and inaccurate reporting of visual and also the print media undermines public confidence and challenges the professionalism of social workers thereby increasing risk to the vulnerable group of the society as the social worker are dealing with them. Resolving this conflict is challenging, social workers and journalists have motivations, accountabilities and structural issues that may build inaccurate media portrayal of social work related stories. This article focuses on the potential of interprofessional education to better manage these barriers, producing socially responsive journalists and media friendly social workers.

Keywords: Media and Social Work, social workers, vulnerable group, journalists and media, vulnerable public, human Relationships, digital communication, television violence, visual media, advertisements