The public gets most of its impressions of nurses and nursing from television ‘soaps’. But, as Lesley Williams explains, local radio can be an important resource for getting the real messages across

Much is said about the impact of the media on society. A constant stream of programmes on radio and television dramatise our professions and are a consistent magnet for the public for their entertainment value. Despite the popularity of series such as Angels and more recently Casualty, there is little evidence about how society understands and copes with the changes taking place within nursing, midwifery and health visiting.