Paper short abstract:

This presentation reflects on engagement with media organisations whilst working as a Ethnographic Research Associate (RA) on a project about rural homelessness in England. Reflecting on competing ethics, it asks how can we balance timing, risk and public engagement during times of crisis.

Paper long abstract:

Mary slept in a tent, in a farmer's field, with her dog for warmth and company. I first interviewed her whilst working as a Part-time Ethnographic Research Associate (RA) on a project about rural homelessness in England. The project, funded and guided by a network of NGOs, involved both survey methods and ethnography. I used a feminist 'patchwork' methodology to investigate the lived experience of homelessness in four rural areas across England. The research attracted a lot of local and national media attention. Mary's story was one of those featured in the final report we wrote with our stakeholders. After having read our report, a journalist got in touch and requested to meet and write about Mary. Sadly that very week, we found Mary had passed away. Might earlier media engagement have changed Mary's situation? Could it have made things worse? How do we balance timing, risk and public engagement during times of crisis?

As an ethnographer, I became a gatekeeper for stories that made it to the mainstream news in the UK. This involved accompanying TV crews for filming at field sites and meeting participants. These encounters were fraught with mixed feelings and ethical dilemmas about deadlines, research time, participants' well-being and outcomes. Here I reflect on the time and care taken whilst doing ethnography, however rapidly, and the mixed approaches of media professionals and deadlines. Crucially I reflect on the double-edged sword of doing public engagement with participants about the very urgent but also enduring issues they face.