MADOAT
about programme
MADOAT is an online media advocacy tool that highlights the best and worst examples of media reporting on children in the media. It helps to push for increased accountability among editors and journalists when it comes to reporting on children’s issues.
At the same time, it creates an online opportunity for children to rate the articles and comment on them, thereby also interacting with the media. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) does this through writing commentaries about stories that violate or promote children’s rights.
On a weekly basis, staff members nominate stories about children from newspaper, television or online media that;
- Represent good practice, where the media has promoted the rights and welfare of children, referred to as “GLADs”
- Represent bad practice, where the rights and welfare of children have been compromised through irresponsible media coverage, referred to as “MADs”
- Would have made great stories had all elements of ethical reporting and/or best journalism practice been adhered to, referred to as “Missed opportunities” or
- Have a picture of children or headline that does not correspond to the actual story and vice versa, referred to as “Decorations”
At least two stories are selected and commentaries written from the list of nominated stories. MMA has a group of trained child media monitors who contribute to the commentary with their views after monitoring the stories. When this is done and before it is uploaded online, the commentary is sent to the journalist and editor to solicit their feedback and sometimes action. The feedback is uploaded alongside the commentary online.