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- The Star’s front page story shows young women can be role models for adults too
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The Media Monitoring Project (MMP) 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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- Crime according to Beeld: Fear in Black and White
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Extreme news sells. Items that are different from everyday life, items that disturb people. Crime is therefore a good subject for newspapers’ front pages from a commercial point of view. Unfortunately, crime in South Africa is not just a creation of the national media. It is a very real problem. And although most statistics suggest decreasing figures, some specific forms of criminality have become more common.
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- Promoting the rights of children with disabilities
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On 21 August 2008 The Star published an article “State chips away at disabled kids’ rights” (21/08/08, p. 12) by Niels Posthumus. The article deserves to be nominated for a MAD OAT Glad award, for bringing attention to the rights of disabled children, and highlighting how these are being violated through government policies, practices, and funding allocations. In doing so, The Star holds the government to account in its duties and responsibilities to protect the rights of disabled children.
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- Turning a horror story into a positive life story
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Sowetan is congratulated by the Media Monitoring Project (MMP) for Dudu Busani’s article on a teenager whose life and attitude provide proof that young people can play a positive role in society, and not be defined solely as victims of crime and abuse. Busani’s piece, “I will fight virus, Raped teen has positive outlook” (15/08/08, p. 13) is a break in the traditional pattern of reporting on children as passive victims of crime, and therefore helps to build more positive and realistic attitudes towards young people and their place in society.
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- Beeld draws attention to the impact economic changes have on children
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A full-page spread in Beeld on the rising food prices and the related Cosatu strike on 6 August 2008 does not stick to reporting on the impact of food prices on adults. It also dedicates a small article (“Stygende pryse het invloed op kinders” or ”Price hikes influence children”, Beeld, 07/08/08 p. 4), by Leané du Plessis, to the influence rising food prices have on the lives of children already affected by poverty. Influences highlighted include malnutrition, underdevelopment, irregular school attendance and criminal activities. The article is to be glad about as it brings attention to the impact that economic changes have on children.
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- Beeld acknowledges the influence of rising food prices on children
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A full-page spread in Beeld on the rising food prices and the related Cosatu strike on 6 August 2008 does not stick to reporting on the impact of food prices on adults. It also dedicates a small article (“Stygende pryse het invloed op kinders” or ”Price hikes influence children”, Beeld, 07/08/08 p. 4), by Leané du Plessis, to the influence rising food prices have on the lives of children already affected by poverty. Influences highlighted include malnutrition, underdevelopment, irregular school attendance and criminal activities. The article is to be glad about as it brings attention to the impact that economic changes have on children.
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- The picture that became a symbol for xenophobic violence
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A picture is worth a thousand words. And some of them have the power to encapsulate events and become the visual symbol for political or humanitarian situations. An example of this is the picture of Hector Pietersen being carried by his sister which became a symbol for the Sharpeville massacre. The image of a man who was set on fire that shocked South Africa and the world in the second week of the xenophobic violence has done the same for the recent xenophobic attacks. The Media Monitoring Project looks at the issues that this image raised for ethical journalism.
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- MAD vs. GLAD: How newspapers protect or fail to protect abused children from further harm
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A story on corporal punishment in a primary school in Sebokeng was covered by several newspapers. Sowetan (“Pupils not safe at school”, 29/07/08, p.1 & 4) and Daily Sun (“Teacher’s cruel punishment”, 29/07/08, p. 4) both accompanied the article with a picture. In Sowetan’s photograph, the identity of the child is protected by the placement of black strips over his eyes and mouth and the journalist refrains from giving the child’s name or age in the accompanying text. This is something to be glad about. However, in the Daily Sun’s photographs, the children are clearly identifiable, and the accompanying text mentions their names and ages. This is in violation of both ethical and legal journalistic principles and therefore something to get very mad about.
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- Picturing children positively
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This picture, “Wheelbarrow of wonder”, by Daily Sun (25/07/08, p. 5) is something to be glad of. It shows two children playing happily with a broken wheelbarrow. This is commendable practice for Daily Sun as it shows children being playful as opposed to children being seen as victims of violence, poverty, HIV/Aids or neglect.
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- Assisting parents and learners to know their rights
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Angelique Serrao of The Star, is commended by the Media Monitoring Project (MMP) for highlighting the right of children to an education, regardless of whether they are able to pay school fees. Her article, “Schools not acting within law over pupils’ fees” (09/07/08, p. 5), summarises the findings by a legal expert on the right to ask for free education in South Africa.
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