Media Study on Children's Issue
Newspapers cover 3pc, TVs air 2pc of news
Follow up news also insignificant, 70pc of print media news 'negative' in nature
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique (C) holds copies of ''Baseline Study: Children in Bangladesh News Media'' and ''Ethical Reporting on and for Children'' with others at the launching ceremony of the documents at Hotel Sonargaon in the city yesterday.Photo: STAR
The media in the country give very insignificant coverage on children's issues as the leading newspapers carry only three percent of the news items on them while television channels air only two percent of their news stories, says a study presented yesterday. The study titled "Baseline Study: Children in Bangladesh News Media" said about 70 percent of the children's issues published in the newspapers was negative in nature. The research was conducted under a joint project implemented by Management and Resource Development Initiative (MRDI) and Unicef through analysing contents of 12 national dailies of both Bangla and English and news bulletins of three television channels between June 2009 to August 2009. The findings of the study were disclosed at a seminar on Ethical Reporting on Children at a city hotel. The study suggested increasing coverage of children's issues with more in-depth stories, imparting training to reporters and copy-editors on basic journalism ethics and ethics in the context of children and obeying the code of conduct for reporting the child related issues. Presenting the findings, principal researcher Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina said general trend of coverage of child related news is event-based and often cursory with little follow-up. It showed that in the newspapers, more than 65 percent of news focused on children are event-based news while only around 8 and 13 percent are follow-up and in-depth news respectively. On televisions, 77 percent news of children's issues are event-news while only nine percent of news are follow-up news and 13 percent news are in-depth news items. The study showed children's issue became news items mainly when they die. Even, the media most often did not follow the story, it added. It also said that the newspaper editorials covered less than one percent of the total coverage on children's issues. About 30 percent of newspaper's items had shortcomings of authenticity with weak sources and around 20 percent of the newspaper's items lacked clarity, the study pointed out, adding about 92 percent of television stories had shortcomings of authenticity and around about 84 percent of the television stories lacked clarity. The study said the most alarming problem in the surveyed news stories related to issues of safety, security, protection and privacy of children. Besides, the study said, the media have a tendency to sensationalise stories and include gruesome depiction, which put a negative impact on children. Speaking as the chief guest, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said children have their own dignity, right to privacy and way of thinking, but most of the time they are underestimated in the society. So, the practice has to be started from the society particularly from the families and educational institutions, he said. "We should realise that every child is precious asset for this world," he said. The presentation of children in the media put an impact on them and so the media should careful in projecting the children, he said, adding if the journalists work with the sense of objectivity the issue of ethics also gets covered. Moderated by Boishakhi Television Editor-in-Chief and CEO Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, the seminar was also addressed by Unicef representative Carel De Rooy, Chief Information and Communication of Unicef Bangladesh Christine Jaulmes and MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman. A handbook on 'Ethical Reporting on and for Children' was also launched.
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