BBC launches First Click - a campaign to encourage people to get online
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Our First Click media literacy campaign begins today with a series of short trails on TV and radio, designed to persuade those not online to call an advice line and book themselves on a beginners’ computer course.
I have already had a big thumbs up from two key members of our target audience - my own mum and dad. To my shame, neither was online when I started working on First Click six months ago. So, helping them get connected has been a professional and personal joy. I’ve seen first hand how the internet can enhance lives. The trails are aimed at people just like them – as nearly two thirds of the 9.2 million people who have never been on line are over 65.
The trails, though, are only one part of the First Click campaign. I’ve been really impressed by the way colleagues right across the BBC have been getting stuck in. Local radio and regional TV will be explaining the benefits of the internet. BBC Learning is providing course material and step-by-step instructions for learners and linking-up with external partners who will provide beginners’ computer courses across the UK. We’ve got a dedicated website, BBC Connect, to give beginners a good introduction to the internet and are planning to launch a new online tool, MyDisplay, which will help those with accessibility needs customise the colour, font and size of text. Radio 2 is dedicating a week to First Click from next Sunday, October 17, and on Radio 4, Peggy Archer will learn to surf the web. We’ve also had brilliant support from Sir Terry Wogan and Linda Robson.
This is a hugely ambitious project which shows the BBC at its best. We have, under one roof, the expertise and reach to help our audience make the most of the internet - from understanding the benefits to practical support. And our trusted relationship with this audience makes this support all the more powerful. The BBC has a unique mandate to use its TV, radio and online services to do this work. Under its Royal Charter and Agreement, the BBC has a mission to help ‘deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services’ and also promote media literacy. And it is important that the BBC does all it reasonably can to help licence fee payers gain access to the BBC’s online public services.
But we’re not attempting to do this alone. When Mark Thompson, the BBC’s Director General, launched the media literacy project last October he made it clear that he wanted the BBC to work closely with external partners on this. These partners include Race Online 2012, UK online centres, Digital Unite and Age UK.
We decided to launch First Click to coincide with Get Online Week - a national initiative by UK online centres which runs from October 18 to 24. During this week, there will be more than 3,000 events across the country where people can get online. In addition, local libraries and community centres will be running First Click Beginners’ Computer Courses. First Click leaflets will be available in every Post Office across the UK and a special version of the First Click TV trail will be shown in 400 main branches.
Tonight, on The One Show, Sir Terry will help a retired member of the public to get online for the first time – and Linda Robson will be on the sofa, talking about her recent conversion to the internet. Both Radio 2 and local radio across the UK are dedicating a week of programmes to First Click. On Weekend Wogan next Sunday, October 17, Sir Terry will reveal the first in a series of fun videos by Radio 2 presenters, highlighting the benefits of being online. The Jeremy Vine Show will have topical discussions across the week on his show and will be catching up with the listener he helped get online back in March. The week’s programmes will culminate on Friday with Steve Wright talking to Martha Lane Fox, the UK’s Digital Champion about her drive to get more of the UK population online. Local radio are producing a series of features and following First Click ambassadors, including Stuart Hall and Linda Nolan, as they go online for the first time.
To keep your eyes and ears alert for all the BBC activity encouraging people to get online over the next few weeks. And as you’re already online reading this blog, why not do what I did – and help someone take their very First Click.
Martin Wilson is Head of Media Literacy
Watch a series of short trails on TV and radio.
Read Bequi Sheehan's blog post about what Radio 2 are doing to help us get online.
Comment number 1.
At 09:55 14th Oct 2010, cyberdoyle wrote:I think this collaboration to get people online is brilliant, well done to everyone. Here is another short 3 minute film to show the benefits a broadband connection can bring to 4 generations of one family: https://digitalbritain.blogspot.com/
It is part of a digitalrevolutions competition to show how digital technology can help bridge the gap.
I think more people should make their own videos and put them on the race online site and enter this competition. Spread the joy. Details of how to enter are on the above link.
chris
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Comment number 2.
At 08:02 18th Oct 2010, Adrian Green wrote:A great idea, but how about a link to a printable factsheet that can be given to someone who is not yet on-line and therefore unlikely to read a blog such as this one?
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Comment number 3.
At 09:54 18th Oct 2010, 1221smith wrote:Is everyone not missing the point? The first obstacle to getting on line is to convince people there is some benefit. The second issue is COST. Since many of those not online are OAPs the 'few hundred' pounds required to buy a computer is often a significant sum of money. Service provision clearly costs as does software and all the frequently recurring costs of security (anti virus, malware etc). The only way an OAP on a tight budget with declining capital can afford this is to forgo something else and many quite simply are not prepared to do this.
Without exception all my elderly relatives are now discriminated against because they are not on line. They choose to spend their resources on other things such as gardening. Since none of the younger family live close enough to provide practical support, encouragement and training it is difficult to envisage a scenario whereby our relatives and I suspect a great many other older folks could be provided with the funds and support to get online.
And the younger generation do demonstrate usefulness of the web when relatives come to visit and yes we have offered to provide hardware etc . But our relatives would prefer a new rose bush or a contribution to running their car or the next holiday.
I can’t quite see what the BBC is doing, raising awareness of the online world online!
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Comment number 4.
At 19:07 18th Oct 2010, Christopher Marson wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 5.
At 11:50 20th Oct 2010, RuralActionYorkshire wrote:First Click is a great idea and will certainly receive plenty of promotional minutes with the BBC behind it. Also great news this week that £230m will not be cut today to help 2m homes in rural areas access faster broadband speeds by 2015.
Rural Action Yorkshire is campaigning hard not just for improved broadband but ANY broadband in some of our rural areas! Already a number of communities have had to get together and pay for it themselves – 2015 is just too long to wait.
With so many Government Departments insisting their paperwork is completed on line, broadband is essential to the rural economy, it would be even better if First Click could be a two pronged approach with a campaign for accessibility running alongside training.
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Comment number 6.
At 18:53 20th Oct 2010, Derek Carroll wrote:I fully agree with most of the comments both for and against the internet, I have been useing it for many years now for writing letters,emails spread sheets and online banking but I am getting more concered every day with the possibility of some hacker getting onto my system and my wife keeps asking me to stop doing our banking online.
She does not use the computer so is not so ofa as myself but I must admit I am beginning to have second thoughts even though I ran my own company online and did invoicing and PAYE so you can see I am pretty conversant with the computer But !
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Comment number 7.
At 14:50 22nd Oct 2010, bbbb4412 wrote:First Click, and all the initiatives to get people online are fabulous.
It is, however, a great shame that one needs to be able to enable 'Flash' on the computer to play video. This renders the First Click site of less use to anyone with an iPad. Time to move to HTML5, so everyone can see the video.
My Mum(81) had a computer ages ago, but the mouse and all the technical stuff were a problem. The iPad was an instant success. No mouse, easy intuitive navigation. Still it is a shame she can not avail herself of the benefits that are on the First Click site.
On a positive note I have to recommend an iPad device to anyone as a great solution to computing woes.
Being online has been great for my Mum, and for us, we all have an ongoing conversation of a mutual interest.
Please make First Click, and other BBC initiatives available for all. It is part of the BBC's role.
Thanks.
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