All too often, children’s stories in the media tend to focus on instances of trauma, abuse and neglect1and we, at Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), sometimes struggle to find stories in which children are portrayed as anything other than victims of their circumstances. This week, however, MMA came ac...
Daily Sun’s “I saw my teacher shot dead” (04/06/2015, p.g.1-2) has been selected as a MAD1 for failing to protect vulnerable children who witnessed a traumatic event. The story is about a teacher that was shot dead while teaching pupils, leaving one pupil dead and another wounded. The most biz...
It is quite unfortunate to find two articles by the same reporter that are inconsistent in applying the principle of minimising harm within a space of two weeks. These articles from Daily Sun highlight a need for continuous caution and consistency when reporting on children and vulnerable people. Da...
Three years ago the Daily Sun published a front-page story2 about two children who were burnt by electric wire cables. A very graphic image of the children shocked and dazed, crying with their clothes and skin burnt was published together with the article. No explanation was given for this kind of r...
The story “Sky is the limit for little Lesego” (Daily Sun, 03/03/2015) by journalist Simphiwe Mngomezulu has been recognised as a GLAD1 by Media Monitoring Africa (MMA). The journalist has given a child’s achievements due recognition and portrayed her in a positive manner. The story is about a...