Star children should be heard and not just seen.
When children participate in sports or any competition and they receive awards for their hard work, they would definitely love to be seen and heard of their achievements. By doing that there will be potential for growth in what they are doing. Daily News and Daily Sun missed an opportunity[1] by not extensively interviewing star children.
The Daily News article titled, “Durban dance crew crowned world champions” (19/08/2024) reports on Durban dance crew that achieved a gold and silver in the UDO World Street Dance Championships which took place in Blackpool, England. It was stated in the article that over 40 countries participated in the competition across various age groups. The article aimed at highlighting the achievement of the children but failed to interview them.
The Daily Sun article titled, “Kasi school kids off to Singapore” reports on two netball school teams that will be heading to Singapore to take part in the international Youth Netball Challenge in November, they will be representing South Africa. It is stated in the article that the under-16 girls from Free State and Western Cape won the all-expenses-paid trip through the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Championships tournament held in Rustenburg, North West. The article puts a spotlight on the children but sadly just as is the case with Daily News the children are not interviewed.
Both these articles have a central focus on children that is accompanied with beautiful pictures. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is of the view that if the media are going to report stories that have a central focus on children, then the children must be extensively quoted to share their perspectives. Of course, this must be done only when it is in the children’s best interest to speak. In both these stories, it was in the children’s best interest to share their views, especially that this article is about children and how they felt about winning.
One of the six principles and guidelines for the media on reporting on children by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), journalists should, “In interviewing (and reporting on) children, pay special attention to each child’s right to have their opinions heard, to participate in decisions affecting them[2]”. The journalist missed an opportunity to have children share their views on this important issue that involves them.
MMA’s Editorial Guidelines and Principles for Reporting on Children in the Media[3] encourage journalists to include children’s views on matters that affect them as children have the right to have their views heard.
We urge Daily Sun and Daily News to continue reporting on children and to pay attention to the inclusion of the children’s voices especially when in the children’s best interests.
Written by Msizi Mzolo
Edited by Ntombifuthi Kubeka