Update

Since last blogging Tony Cassidy has had the campaign mentioned in the newspaper Ilkeston Today and it is also in the Newbury Weekly News this week.

GGiP now has a solid link with www.geographyzone.com and later this month will be promoting the Geography Cup, a joint venture to promote Geography in the US and UK. The Geography Cup will be a 'Ryder Cup' of Geography with people resident in the UK fighting it out against people in the US to see who know the countries on the world best. GGiP and Geography Zone will be making it clear that Geography is not just about knowing place names with some special geographical issues questions at the end of the quiz. Get practicing now at www.geographyzone.com and watch this space for further informaiton. Let's make it big!

Since last week Geographers from Australia, Ireland, India and the US have been in contact thinking about setting up GGiP campaigns where they are. Don't be shy, let's make this campaign global. Comment here or email www.passion4geography.co.uk to share ideas.

Geography, how much do you care?

Do you know where Palau is on a map?

After ignoring a letter to Tessa Jowell from over 100 leading Geographers representing nearly 50 different UK universities the media has picked up a Geography story. Of course a warning of social, economic and environmental risks to society is not important enough... but a survey by the National Geographic is.

Let's pause and reflect on the National Geographic and specifically the National Geographic Channel in the UK. Today the line up of programmes is The Secret World of Smell, Battle of Midway, Asian Tsunami, The World's most Powerful Dam, The Kursk, Alien Worlds: Blue Moon, Spider Power, Supervolcanoes Investigated, Kid in the Cockpit, Battle of Okinawa, Fall of Berlin, Kalahari Supercats, Channel Tunnel, Wounded Bird Ad, Hijacked Ad... OK, so maybe you could tease some Geography out of this but honestly National Geographic (Channel UK), are you doing your bit?

The national media love it. A quick search for items from over the past 48 hours brings up:

BBC News British pupils 'cannot locate UK'
BBC America: Geography: The lost world
BBC Jeremy Vine Show (discussion): Is Geography too green?
(see Tony Cassidy and Daniel Raven-Ellison reflect on the show here.

The Independent: What on Earth happened to Geography?
The Telegraph: For one child in five, Britain is an undiscovered country
The Sun: Just where are EU on map?

What I want to know is if the people who write these items think that teachers should spend more lesson time drilling place names and locations into pupils or helping them to understand located issues on poverty, trade, flooding, crime.... students will learn more through understanding the tools and concepts of the subject than reacalling what they can look up in an Atlas. It is important that students learn where places are so that they can make sense of the world and their place in it, but that's not all Geographers do.

If the public and media are so concerned about spatial literacy pehaps they should Give Geography its Place and start geo-tagging and mapping news stories and create Geography sections for websites that link to content and issues to named places.

Far too much of KS3 Geography is taught by non-specialists, as OFSTED identified in 2005. Specialists understandably end up teaching exam groups but in many schools this often gives students a poor experience of Geography. While the Government funded Geography Action Plan and run by the Geographical Association and RGS-IBG is working to improve Geography (launched on Monday but with no press attention despite being the same day as the National Geographic survey). This weakness at KS3 is a very real problem and must go some way to explaining the National Geographic results.

That aside, if Geography is to recruit more students and more of them are to go into Geography teaching it is vital that the media stop leaving Geography out except for the occasional bashing. Learners need to aspire towards tangible goals and role models and be offered meaning to their work so that they can develop direction, drive and enthusiasm. Many teachers offer and facilitate this, but with no clear programmes, or websites and few presenters Geography is left at a disadvantage compared to other fields.

Come on... you know you want to Give Geography its Place!

Oh... and Palau is here.

Not from the UK? We need you!

Geography faces problems worldwide. Australia has seen a recent decline of nearly 50% of students taking Geography as an option. The poor Geographical knowledge of people in the USA has become a scandal within the country and an ongoing joke to the rest of the world. In the UK Geographers form the brunt of jokes about professionals and the media overlooks the subject and most recently ignored over 100 of the subject's professionals when they warned of risks to society. Having said all that, some countries like Sierra Leone can't even afford atlases for many schools.

Because Geography is facing problems across the world Give Geography its Place is now calling for international groups to set up. Every country across the world has its own needs. The causes, effects and potential solutions for a good Geographical media, education and awareness are as diverse and complex as the cultures and environments in which the subject is used (and that's all of them).

Could you take the lead in your country to set up a Give Geography its Place campaign? Are you passionate about Geography and think there should be a GGiP Australia, GGiP South Africa, France, USA, Brazil, Congo, Russia or Latvia?

If so comment below and get in contact via the campaign website. You need to have the same general aims as GGiP UK, but will take on the logo to form part of an international campaign that addresses local and national needs to raise the profile of Geography.

Geography Zone

Geography Zone is a website that tests your knowledge of where countries are in the world. You score is than ranked on a world score board by people and country.

"The Geography Zone is brought to you by the people of A Broader View. The mission of A Broader View is to put a stop to geographical ignorance throughout the world, and every project they take on is part of their continuing efforts to achieve this goal", say the makers. You can read all about them here. The quiz is here.

Top 30 Geography Websites of 2006

What are the best Geography websites around? GGiP wants your vote here at http://geotop30.blogspot.com/.

KES teacher joins national campaign

Well done to Alan Parkinson for being the first person to get the GGiP press release into a newspaper and thank you to Kings Lynn today for running it. Let's hope that it pulls in some interest.

The Geographical Association has shown support for GGiP again today by posting about the latest GGiP press release within the association's news page. The GA calls for supporters to adapt the press release and issue it to local media using contacts from British Media Online.


Some more good news is that the GGiP 'blank maps' are now in (see above right). If you have placed an order these will be sent out in the next couple of days. If you have not done so yet place one now. Five massive A0 'blank maps' costs just £10 and for every one you buy one will be posted to someone 'important' in the media, education, politics or business.

End of the embargo

The embargo on the GGiP press release ended today. I could not see anything in any of the national papers. Tomorrow perhaps?

Geography on the Ridgeway

Geography is everywhere. Even on the Ridgeway near Kingsclere in Hampshire, England. Thank you to Seb, Menah, Matt, Ruth and Hehi for helping to make this happen. These images are going to be sent to the Newbury Weekly News along with a request for 1,000 local people to sign up to GGiP.

The Big Push

The next three days are extremely important for the Give Geography its Place campaign. Based entirely on time volunteered from the grassroots (mostly teachers) we need to contact as many different local media groups as we can. The GGiP press release that contains a letter signed by over 100 top Geographers can be downloaded, personalised and sent by supporters to their local papers and radio. Last week Daniel Raven-Ellison and David Rayner sent the press release to all major national media outlets on an embargo for this Monday. The next three days are so important because the deadline for local weekly press is this coming Tuesday. It is so vital that all Geographers pull together on this because Geography just does not get the space in the media other subjects and issues enjoy. So far on the SLN Geography Forum a number of people have started stepping forward. Thanks to Dave Smith, Mike Jones, Mountainman, Tom Biebrach, Tony Cassidy, Chris Ellesse, Val Vannet, Helen, JulieQ, Simon, Justin Woolliscroft, Alan Parkinson and Bristolclare for posting to say they have between them contacted:

Ilkeston Advertiser
Nottingham Evening Post
Derby Evening Telegraph
BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Derby
Central ITV News
East Midlands Today
Gloucestershire papers
Wolverhampton Express and Star
Birmingham Post and also to local BBC and ITV news desks
Belfast Telegraph
SecEd
Portsmouth News
South London Press
Enfield Advertiser
Henley Standard
BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Berkshire
Newbury Weekly News
Reading Chronicle
Reading Evening Post

GGiP needs even more coverage than this. The GGiP Cluster Map shows the geographical spread of support and let's aim to have this reflected in the local and regional press.

As an additional insentive, anyone who emails evidence to GGiP of getting the petition announced in their local press will recieve a free Virtual Transect of London and a temporary (or extendend) subscription to Geointeractive.

Another way that supporters can help is by making noise on the forums of the big media websites such as the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, UKTV and major newspapers.

Give Geography its Place and sign the petition now. If you have already signed it.. spread the word to the world.

Geography and History in the Media

I was wondering on the way to work this morning why there is so much more History in the media than Geography. Why is it that History campaigns get the front page and national news and Geography gets local news and page 5 within some sort of a gag (50% of remarks about Geography teachers in the Guardian are some sort of a joke).

Then I thought to check out graduate destinations.

Total number of Geography graduates 2005 - 2710. Percentage who work in the media, 2.5%.
Total number of History graduates in 2005 - 8410. Percentage who work in the media, 4%.
(Data from prospects.ac.uk)

Does this speak for itself?

Public Launch on the Horizon

After 144 days of campaigning in the Geography community over 1,500 Geographers have signed up to the Give Geography its Place campaign. These supporters are mostly located in the UK but Geographers from across the world are joining the campaign to show their concern for the subject. Geography faces many problems but not least the neglect of the subject by the media (see the GGiP official website).

Over 100 leading British Geographers from more than 45 universities have signed a GGiP letter to Rt Hon. Tessa Jowell the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport warning that society is at increased social, economic, environmental and politcal risk if the media does not give Geography its Place.

The next few days are crucial for GGiP as copies of the letter and press release have been issued to the media. The letter is being used to launch a new petition that is aimed at the public and especially parents. Over the next few days Geographers are being asked to show their support by contacting local media with the GGiP press release that they can personalise to themselves and their school.

Monday is the crucial day as the petition is fully launched in the media by GGiP supporters. David Rayner has already been on Radio Kent, I am going on BBC Radio Berkshire at 7am tomorrow morning and the current edition of Web User has published one of our emails.

If you are as passionate about Geography as Give Geography its Place don't sit on your hands get involved. Leave news and Geography items on the GGiP new podcast voice mail by calling +44 (0)208 144 3647 or set up a GGiP campaign where you are.

It's time for the media to Give Geography its Place.