Media Release
3 August 2021
Reporting on children in the media course launches to strengthen journalism on child rights issues
PRETORIA, 03 August 2021 – Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), in partnership with UNICEF South Africa, launched the ‘Reporting on Children in the Media Course’ at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg today. The accredited journalism course brings together 20 practicing reporters, from a range of media agencies, on a virtual journey through 16 interactive seminars that aim to deepen their reporting skills in the best interest of children. The course also includes several open and free sessions for journalists, or interested persons, to login, with the final assessment taking place on 04 September.
“I am excited to be engaging with the journalists during the course and I am sure we are going to have very robust conversations on how to report on children’s law, to balance reporting and to ensure children’s well-being and protection while reporting on their issues,” said Zita Hansungule, Senior Project Coordinator at the Centre for Child Law, and one of the course experts.
“We are delighted to be supporting this innovative reporting on children media course,” said Christine Muhigana, UNICEF South Africa Representative. “The media play a vital role in telling untold stories and shining a spotlight on issues affecting children that can in-turn mobilize the whole of society to respond,” Muhigana added.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the critical importance of media in giving a voice to children and young people who can all too often be forgotten in public discourse.
The course, in exploring how children are represented, will work with journalists to develop new skills and to demonstrate how children’s rights can be respected in the media, whilst ensuring journalism of the highest quality. Journalists will be challenged to question the common representation of children and their issues, as well as open their outlook to new possibilities for alternative representations.
The analysis of media coverage of children, conducted by Media Monitoring Africa in 2020, indicated that coverage of children increased between 2016 and 2020, from 6 to 13 per cent of all stories.
“The increase in coverage of children’s stories shows progress, but it is not enough,” said Kabir Budlender, a youth Web Rangers SA Ambassador. “Children and young people need to be covered in a respectful manner that gives us a voice, is consistent and balances the challenges we face with positive stories,” Budlender added.
The partnership between Media Monitoring Africa and UNICEF South Africa also includes the Isu Elihle Journalism Awards, the commissioning of a research paper on reporting on children in South Africa, as well as support to the Web Rangers programme that promotes positive online experiences among youth.
Notes to editors:
For more information on the course please go to:
Course highlights will also be shared on social media platforms, @MediamattersZA and @UNICEF_SA
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
Follow MMA on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
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
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