Celebrating youth

Posted: 27 July 2007 | News - Newsletter | Categories:

June is the month for cold, youth and refugees. This is what we cover in this newsletter (except the cold). Are you aware that South Africa was the main destination, worldwide, for new asylum-seekers in 2006? The most vulnerable groups within refugee communities being women and children. Poor media coverage can worsen their plight considerably. This month we have a few resources for youth and a commentary piece about refugee coverage around World Refugee Day.

How the news gets into the newspaper

MMP has produced a resource to help children understand how the news gets into a newspaper. The slideshow starts with daily events, which gets written by journalists, checked by editor and printed. Colourful pictures illustrate the process.

Refugees plight ignored

South Africa was the main destination, worldwide, for new asylum-seekers in 2006, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is surprising then, the lack of attention that World Refugee Day got from the South African media. The Media Monitoring Project did a quick scan of Johannesburg dailies to see how it was covered and found that the Sowetan and The Star are the only newspapers to provide good coverage on this global event.

Reporting children: journalist training

With each child’s voice that is heard in the media, there is a strong possibility that not only that child will become a reader or viewer, but also that that child’s parents, caregivers, friends and relations will also become readers or viewers.

MMP and Wits have a training course for journalists to better represent children in the media.

New technology make youth vulnerable?

A recent national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the SABC found that 72% of 18 – 24 years owned cellphones - and many were using them for more than just talking!

Does increased access to mobile content mean an increase in potential exposure to harmful content?

Drawing on key industry experts, you’ll learn about the various regulatory measures that should ensure children are protected from inappropriate content. We’ll also explore how videos, wallpapers and other cellphone content make it into our local youth media mix.

Refugees and xenophobia

The 20th of June is World Refugee Day, this vulnerable group in South Africa is sometimes made more vulnerable by poor media coverage. Xenophobia and racism is covered in the Shades of Prejudice report.