Media should mirror society not just in terms of issues reported but also in the sources accessed. This means that issues reported in the media as well as who gets to speak should reflect society in terms of equitable representation. The population of children in South Africa stands at 37 million according to Statistics South Africa[1] and yet only a very small percentage of children get to feature and speak in the media. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) analysed media’s coverage of children in 2020[2] and findings revealed that in that same year, the media only reported on children and issues facing them in 13% of all news coverage. Worse is that the children only spoke in 7% of this coverage. This kind of representation has been noted by MMA to be the norm in media’s reporting and representation of children in coverage.
An example of an article that contributes towards this trend of overlooking children’s voices on key issues affecting them is one reported by Daily Sun titled, “Blazers block education” (29/01/2022). The article reports on a group of children in Eastern Cape who were sent away from school because they did not have blazers. In the article, the children’s parents who are quoted lament how their children were “allegedly chased” from school. One of the parents in the article talks about how they might resort to protesting if the Department of Education does not intervene in the matter. While adult sources are quoted throughout the article, no child is accessed for their views on the matter.
As the issue directly affects children and their education, the journalist should have included children’s views in the story. The children would not only have exercised their rights to speak but would have also enriched the story with their perspectives. The media would have of course ensured that children speak while protecting the children’s best interest by withholding the children’s identities. This would have enabled a situation where children share their perspectives without the potential for risk of potential backlash from the school or the Department of Education.
Continually excluding children’s voices in media’s coverage of issues affecting the children violates their rights enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC Article 13)[3] and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children (ACRWC Article 7).[4] South Africa ratified both the UNCRC and the ACRWC in 1995 and 2000 respectively.
Further, not including children’s views in coverage of them perpetuates the stereotype that children are not important or capable enough to speak in matters affecting them. This enables an environment where children’s views are neglected as children will not have an avenue to communicate what and how they expect duty bearers and policy makers to address issues facing the children. Therefore, the media must strive always to add children’s views in coverage of the children as they are capable of providing solutions as well as unique insight into problems they face.
MMA therefore urges Daily Sun and the media in general to realise the importance of having children speak in coverage of them and to actually seek out the children’s voices. We look forward to reading articles with children’s views especially when it is in the children’s best interest to speak.
By Lister Namumba
[1] http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022020.pdf
[2] https://mediamonitoringafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020childrensreport.pdf
[3] https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text
[4] https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/36804-treaty-african_charter_on_rights_welfare_of_the_child.pdf