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- Racism article creates potential for further victimisation
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Sowetan is brought to task by the Media Monitoring Project (MMP) for poor reporting on a crime against a child. “’Racist’ teacher assaults pupil” (25/09/08, p.8) fails on all accounts to protect the identity of a young victim of an alleged racist assault by his teacher. In doing so, it flouts legal requirements and exposes him to further harm.
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- Excluding children’s views undermines The Star’s efforts
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Adorned with photographs of children playing soccer, the article “Soccer festival pulls in the kids” (The Star, 29/09/08, p. 5), failed in all respects to present children’s views and opinions on an initiative they were directly involved in. The article deserves a MAD OAT Mad nomination because in failing to include children’s voices it undermines any efforts made to promote the positive contribution of children.
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- School children demonstrate their right to education
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The African Eye News Service (AENS) article by Thabisile Khoza and Tshwarelo Mogakane, “School kids riot over Cup stadium” (City Press, 28/09/08, p.8 [1]), about the arrest of school pupils who allegedly set alight temporary school facilities in protest against having to leave their own school is one to be glad of. The article relates how school pupils stood up for their right to education and is to be commended for accessing pupils for their views; protecting the identities of the accused, and revealing the rationale for the children’s behaviour.
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- City Press facilitates children’s right to be heard
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The Media Monitoring Project (MMP) applauds City Press for publishing an article that relates to the facilitation and fulfilment of children’s rights to education and an adequate standard of living. The article, “Feeding the nation one child at a time” (City Press, 21/09/08, p.26 [1]), by Lumka Oliphant, is about two remarkable women who ensure that the pupils at their local primary school are fed. The article is to be particularly commended for accessing the views of children.
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- The media needs to protect abused children from further harm
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School violence acts like canaries in a gold mine; it shows us that something is wrong with our society, and for this reason it is newsworthy. Similar too, the way we as a society treat our children speaks volumes about our society. The least we can do is to protect abused children from further harm. Journalists in both Sowetan and Daily Sun failed to do this in their coverage of school violence during the week of the 15th September 2008, and instead wrote articles to get MAD about.
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- Sunday World protects the privacy and dignity of young survivors of sexual abuse
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The Media Monitoring Project (MMA) congratulates Sunday World for the article “Healer kept kids as sex slaves” by Mthetho Ndoni (14/09/08, p.12). The article deserves to be nominated as a Mad Oat Glad because the victims were not identified or mentioned in the article. This provides a good example to other reporters and newspapers of how to report on such cases in a way that protects the best interests of children.
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- Positive power of the media: helping to protect children’s rights
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Sowetan is congratulated by the Media Monitoring Project (MMP) for its coverage of the case involving an 11-year old girl, neglected by her mother, who was allegedly forced into prostitution to support herself and her siblings. The story, covered by Elisha Molefe and Sibongile Mashabe, first appeared in Sowetan on 25 August 2008 (“Our shame: Girl (11) sells herself to older men for sex to feed two younger brothers”, 25/08/08, p. 1 and p. 4) and was followed up on 26 and 27 August 2008 and 4 and 5 September 2008, in both articles and editorials. The coverage exposes a case of child neglect and abuse, and through its investigation and follow up, helps to ensure that those in positions of responsibility protect the children’s rights and welfare.
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- Sowetan shows children’s laughter in trying times
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Over the last month, the media has focused on the xenophobic attacks that have spread across South Africa, which, according to Smith (2008), have claimed 43 lives and left 23, 000 displaced [1]. Many of the displaced have found temporary shelters in community halls and police stations. Sowetan’s article, “Hope beats Fear” (27/05/08, p.1 & 8) by Namhla Tshisela about children who have found refuge at Cleveland Police Station in Johannesburg and how they are coping, is one to be glad of. The article draws attention to the plight of children; it carries the message of hope; and it takes into account children’s opinions by accessing the children themselves.
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- Heroic Schoolgirls
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The Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) was delighted to see The Star report on a trio of young women placed on the front page of its 29 August 2008 edition. “Heroic schoolgirls teach adults a life lesson”, by Kanina Foss, is highly commended for being a positive and well constructed article, which challenges stereotypes about children and young people, and whose message is given weight and prominence by being on the front page.
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- Save our SABC Submission
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MMP, together with other civil society organisations have formed a coalition in order to restoring the credibility, protecting the independence and promoting best practice principles of public broadcasting. View the submissions to the draft broadcast amendment bill.
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