PRAISE FROM FAMILY OF RHYS JONES

Medavia has been praised by the family of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones for handling their media coverage in the wake of his killer’s trial.

His parents, Melanie and Stephen, appointed Medavia to be their media representatives following a “tidal wave” of press interest in the story.

At the end of last year, Sean Mercer was convicted by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court of murdering Rhys, 11, who was hit by crossfire in a gunfight between rival gangs.

The killing sent shockwaves throughout the country and Rhys’ family was inundated with proposals and offers for their story.

Working closely with Melanie and Stephen, the police and the media, Medavia successfully ensured the post trial coverage was accurate and sensitively treated.

Our consultants successfully negotiated agreements for their interview to appear in the Mail On Sunday, The News of the World, an hour-long ITV documentary and in a women’s magazine.

The interview was conducted partly by our own staff writer, Emily Retter, the 2008 Feature Writer of the Year.

Says Melanie: “From the moment Rhys’ death became public knowledge our home was besieged by journalists.

“Our door was hammered, thousands of letters started to arrive from well wishers, newspapers, and TV and radio stations from around the world

“Demands were being made of us from all directions as we tried to grieve and make sense of it all. We only had the police to turn to for guidance. We were just a normal family catapulted into this surreal, unbelievable, terrible drama – we didn’t know what to expect.

We needed help

“Finally, when Sean Mercer was arrested, we decided we needed help. We saw on Medavia’s website that they had worked with families like us before – normal, everyday people who had been forced to deal with tragic, unimaginable events under the glare of the media spotlight. We called Medavia and they visited us straight away.

“From that point, Medavia made contact with every media outlet which had attempted to contact us to let them know that all enquiries were now to come through them and that, importantly, they weren’t to bother us.

“Medavia also liaised with the police who then passed all press enquiries to them too. It was so comforting to know everything was being handled for us - and because the media knew they had to speak to us through Medavia, they kept away.

“It allowed us to focus on the forthcoming trial and to plough all our energy into supporting each other. Medavia gave us the peace of mind that everything was in hand.

Sensitive

“During those 11 weeks we knew we could go to Medavia with every query, worry and concern we had. They were always on hand, at court if we needed them, or just a phone call away, morning and night, weekdays and weekends.

“They were sensitive to the fact nothing should be done that would prejudice the trial – our well being and the success of that trial was always their primary concern.

“At the end they were with us in person every step of the way, and once the verdicts were in they ensured we had a statement prepared to read to the waiting crowds of press.

“They ensured we weren’t hassled and whisked us and our son Owen away to a peaceful location away from prying eyes.

A new life

“There we were able to relax and come to terms with the trial’s outcome as a family, leaving Medavia to organise media proposals for us which allowed us to give the most sensitively handled interviews and secure fees which would allow us to move house and start a new life, away from the families of the youths who had destroyed our lives.

“The process was as painless as possible – Medavia arranged everything so that we were able to give interviews and pose for photographs with ease. Medavia even co-wrote the newspaper and magazine features and it was reassuring to give interviews to someone we already knew and trusted.

“They accompanied us to TV interviews too, and made sure we were protected, both financially and emotionally.

“Although the initial frenzy of press interest has now died down we know the media will always make requests for our time and Medavia has not disappeared. It will work with us on a long term basis – for as long as we need its assistance. It is such a relief to know they are always going to be on hand.”