Volunteer for case studies

Magazines, newspapers and radio stations often want to talk to vegetarians about a specific experience in their lives.
 

These case studies are particularly popular in women’s magazines and are sometimes essential to securing coverage of an important vegetarian issue. 

For example, when there have been negative news stories about vegan children suffering ill health, the health pages of national newspapers often want to profile a family with healthy vegan kids. Requests for case studies tend to be very specific and come in at very short notice so it is extremely helpful for us to have a bank of people we know are willing to help out in this way.

To become a Vegetarian Society Case Study subject you need:

• To be confident discussing your own vegetarianism in a positive way. This is likely to include your diet, your motivations, your general health and any health conditions you have experienced.
  
  
• To be an open kind of person who doesn’t mind telling the nation a bit about your personal life. You don’t need to bare your soul but case studies need to be truthful and personal so if you are quite a private person, then this probably isn’t the right role for you.
  
  
• To keep us updated with an honest description of your lifestyle and personal information. When we are asked for a case study we often get a detailed brief including things like age, gender, ethnic origin, marital status, number of years you've been veggie, and so on. We can only fulfil the journalist’s request quickly if we know who fits the bill.
  
  
• To be happy having your photograph taken and published, perhaps including your partner and/or children.
  
  
• To be contactable by phone and email most days.
  
  
• To have a flexible enough day-to-day schedule to fit in an interview at short notice. Journalists are usually as accommodating as they can be, but they often work to very tight schedules and deadlines.

As a Vegetarian Society Case Study subject you will gain:

• Valuable experience talking to the media.
  
  
• A chance to represent vegetarians in a positive way.
  
  
• A surprising amount of recognition from friends and family, who may well start to take your vegetarian lifestyle that bit more seriously.

Vegetarian Case Studies are volunteers and do not receive any payment for their time or published articles.  However, we can sometimes cover out of pocket expenses.  If you would like to discuss getting involved in this way, please contact the press office press@vegsoc.org or call 0161 925 2012.