Resources - Media Analysis
Media Monitoring Africa releases periodic media analysis pieces looking at current issues in the media though a human rights lens.
Category: Children [REMOVE]
- The ethics of 16 Days Media coverage
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During 2006 the Media Monitoring Project analysed coverage of the 16 days campaign to examine whether media upheld generally accepted media ethical principles. The findings show that, in covering the Campaign stories, the media most commonly violates the principle to do no harm, frequently by identifying the victim and exposing them to potential further abuse and victimisation.
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- New publications bill still a threat to media freedom
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The Media Monitoring Project (MMP) has been petitioning government to change the proposed Film and Publications Amendment Bill. While it is crucial to protect the rights of children, the MMP argues that the Bill has negative implications for media freedom in South Africa. Amongst other things, it is trying to get the country’s newspaper’s to self-regulate. Chakula spoke to William Bird, the Director of the MMP, and Sandra Roberts, a Project Co-ordinator at the organisation.
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- Reporting on disabilities: Too little, too limited
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People with disabilities constitute a considerable part of the South African population, yet coverage pertaining to people with a disability is very low and very limited in the media. In the few instances that this population groups is reported on, the coverage fails to raise the rights of the disabled and actually perpetuates societal stereotypes.
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- … in every matter concerning the child
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On the 21st of March, all people in South Africa celebrate Human Rights Day which commemorates the Sharpville massacre of 1960 and the signing of the Constitution. This is the same Constitution that guarantees the rights of children. In fact, Article 28.2 says ‘A child’s best interests are of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child’.
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- Media and the reporting of the budget speech
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The budget speech attracts much media attention every year. This year was no different. When reporting on the budget speech, it is expected that the media ‘translate’ the implications for their readers. In this respect the reports on the speech were not entirely successful.
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- Don’t harm the children
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We are all outraged when bad things happen to children, but the very reporting of these outrages can violate children’s rights to be protected.
Three key issues can be identified in relation to the representation of children in the news media:
- children are minimally represented,
- children are often negatively represented, and
- children are stereotypically represented.
Article from Rhodes Journalism Review No 25, November 2005
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- e-tv: Violating the rights to privacy and dignity
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One of the central principles of journalism is the protection of the rights to dignity and privacy. The importance of sensitive coverage of those who are grieving, who have endured trauma, is enshrined in journalistic codes of conduct throughout the world. The commercial free-to-air channel, e-tv, has demonstrated some very concerning trends in media coverage over the last month.
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- 16 Days of Reporting Child Abuse: 16 days campaign 2004
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The 16 Days Campaign presents a window of opportunity for the South African media to focus on and engage with the issues of child abuse in a meaningful way.
The 25th of November 2004 marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign: No Violence Against Women and Children. The campaign aims to raise issues of abuse of women and children, to not only reflect on what happens in society but also how abuse is represented in the media. The 16 Days Campaign presents a window of opportunity for the South African media to focus on and engage with the issues of abuse in a meaningful way.
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- Putting Children First – Happy Sindane coverage
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The last few days have seen extensive coverage across all media of a white boy, Happy Sindane, who told police that he had been abducted by a domestic worker when he was 6 years old.
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- Double Humiliation: repeat violation of child’s rights
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On 29 October, MMP issued an update addressing the issue of inappropriate identification of a child. In an incident last week members of the media again identified a child who has been abused and traumatised, and has also identified children who may be facing criminal charges.
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