Children should not be underestimated by the media #MediaFreedomWeek
MILPARK – Children take on the media listing their demands for change.
“Media should not treat us like we are invisible,” said Parkhurst Primary School learner Paballo Manyelo, addressing media representatives at Media Monitoring Africa’s (MMA) Media Freedom Week discussion.
Journalists attended a number of evening sessions covering a variety of informative topics as they commemorated Black Wednesday.
Black Wednesday was an attempt to gag the media, and a number of newspapers aligned with the black consciousness movement were banned by the apartheid state on 19 October 1977.
The media turned their attention to their coverage of children at their meeting on 21 October at the Jozi Hub in Milpark.
Legal advisor to MMA Taryn Hinton said, “Our future is only secure if we report ethically on children.” She pointed out that 35 per cent of the South African population was below the age of 18 but they only received 10 per cent of media coverage.
“In most instances, we only see children in the extremes in the media… Journalists are too scared to meet the necessary legal requirements to report on children and then miss out on the deep richness of reporting on them,” added Hinton.
She said adults needed to listen to children’s views, take them seriously and take action.
Three child media monitors addressed the media with a list of demands, drawing attention to the fact that the media often underestimated children.
Parkhurst Primary learner Sukoluhle Ndlovu said, “We demand that media should represent children in many roles, especially positive ones. Therefore, we want to see more stories of survivors, heroes, active citizens, sports children and achievers. We don’t deny that bad things happen to children but there should be less stories where children are shown as powerless victims, criminals or children in poverty.”
Afternoon drive presenter on 702 and TV news anchor Joanne Joseph facilitated a discussion by Hinton and Amargi Media CEO Nikiwe Bikitsha on the demands brought to the table by the children.
“We often don’t have this conversation unless there is a crisis. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to hear from children today,” said Bikitsha.
“Sometimes we’re so busy chasing the headlines and deadlines that we neglect to depict children all in their complexity.”
Hinton commented that in all the coverage on teachers’ strikes, seldom were children ever asked for comment despite the fact that they were the ones most directly affected.
Former Isu Elihle award winner Beth Amato discussed her methods of reporting on children, which were influenced by solutions-based journalism.
“Solutions-based reporting is more than just providing a helpline for children to call. In my story, I wrote about a young boy who committed a crime in his childhood but later joined a support group and started a soccer team,” said Amato.
Finalists for this year’s Isu Elihle Awards were also announced at the event.
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