Editorial
Children's place in the media
An eye-opening study that should nudge us to action
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. Moreover, newspapers cover 3 percent and TV airs 2 percent of news on children. According to the study, 'the most alarming problem in the surveyed news stories' related to issues of safety, security, protection and privacy of children.
The reality is that children turn on the TV or want to read newspapers looking for fun and entertainment. Since fantasy gives them pleasure because they identify with the characters and heroes, it is of utmost importance that they have special segments meeting their requirements. Increasing the number of educational programmes, documentaries and classic films will help build up their mental defenses against social evils. Child right issues are also needed to be presented in a simple and interesting manner so that they are made aware of their rights as well as obligations.
Children are like sponges, with their antennas on, learning by imitation and repetition of what they see in media, especially in TV. The media is like a powerful tool; depending on what its contents are and how it is used, it can be harmlessly entertaining as well as educative, or it can be injurious or harmful. The understanding of the messages increases with age, the children learn to watch TV the more they see and learn to read the newspaper more they read. But, at the early age visual media would have harmful effect on them should it have a tendency to sensationalise stories and resort to gruesome depiction.
The study has apparently skipped research on advertisement. We see a good measure of product advertising in the media to allure children, regardless of whether it is good or bad. Media is regarded as an indisputable truth because of its power an influence as information dispenser. So the media organisers and practitioners have a huge responsibility there. Propagation of business irrespective of quality must be carefully avoided to help the children refrain from extreme consumerist culture.
We must not also forget the role of the other powerful media that is internet. Children spend much of their time over internet. So research is also needed to identify how they can balance their time between virtual and real life and how can the digital media play a complementary role with print media, museums, zoos, music, art, crafts, models, puzzles, sports and other educational ingredients which will stimulate reasoning and creativity.
For a turnaround in the situation both electronic and print media need to have trained reporters with skill and ethics inculcated in them to cater to the children's special needs.
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