On the 23rd of April, Annemaree Callander (BYS Chief Executive Officer), Rhianon Vichta (Research and Evaluation Coordinator), Kim Stewart (Only Human 4ZZZ Host) and Madonna Brady (Only Human 4ZZZ Host) went live in the Valley mall on the 4ZZZ Only Human slot to talk about youth homelessness and BYS couch surfing research.
It’s great to see the media helping BYS get the word out about the work we do.
Media support helps BYS build awareness of youth homelessness within the broader community and build understanding of the complex challenges that young people facing homelessness often have to overcome to find a safe home. With media support, BYS is in a better position to call on the community to take a stand against youth homelessness through publicly stating that the statistics are unacceptable and that prevention must be a priority of government at every level.
BYS couch surfing research in the media
By talking about the knowledge and experience gained by BYS through our commitment to data and research, we can challenge the stereotypes perpetuated about homelessness and improve services and outcomes for young people. For example, BYS has gained significant media coverage of research by Rhianon Vichta about couch surfing and the impacts on homeless young people including articles and coverage in:
- Guardian Australia
- SBS News
- Yahoo News
- Perth Now
- Radio National
- Triple J
- 2SER
- ABC radio
- Only Human 4ZZZ
Undertaking research and evaluation, such as providing evidence on the impacts of couch surfing, helps inform BYS practice improvements, service delivery across the sector and provides evidence for key stakeholders and funding decision makers.