Media Release
3 September 2021
Portraying the PANDEMIC: Children, Covid-19 & The Media
JOHANNESBURG, 3 September 2021– Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), in partnership with UNICEF South Africa, would like to invite you to a discussion analysing the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on children and media in South Africa, under the theme “Portraying the PANDEMIC: Children, COVID-19 & The Media”.
Event Details:
Date: 7 September 2021
Time: 12:30 pm
The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the critical importance of the media in giving a voice to children and young people who can all too often be forgotten in public discourse.
This discussion seeks to unpack the common representation of children and their issues caused by the pandemic, as well as to look into new possibilities for alternative representations.
Take a Journey with Katherine Cleary, 2020 Isu Elihle winner, as she recounts stories from her engagements with South African children and their lived reality of dealing with extreme hunger in the time of COVID. Then join Dumisile Nala, National Executive Officer of Childline, and Chris Vick, Chairperson of Covid Comms, as they unpack Katherine’s thoughts and discuss COVID in the context of its effect on South African children.
“The two main challenges we now face in combating COVID-19 are access to vaccines, and access to credible, easy-to-understand information. That’s why COVID Comms is so important. People across the country need high-impact messaging in all languages so that young and old are able to understand the benefits of vaccination and can make informed decisions. It will take a national effort to combat and contain this deadly virus,” said Chris Vick, Founding Chairperson of COVID Comms, and one of the experts taking part in the discussion.
For further information, please contact:
Taryn Hinton, Media Monitoring Africa, Tel: + 27 82 940 6188, tarynh@mma.org.za
Toby Fricker, UNICEF South Africa, Tel: +27 61 418 7486, tfricker@unicef.org
About MMA
Media Monitoring Africa‘s vision is a responsible, quality media that enables an engaged and informed citizenry in Africa and across the world. MMA aims to promote the development of a free, fair, ethical and critical media culture in South Africa and the rest of the continent. To achieve MMA’s vision, the three key areas that MMA seeks to address through a human rights-based approach are: media ethics, media quality and media freedom.
For more information about MMA and its work for children visit www.mediamonitoringafrica.org
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About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org
Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube