The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations in November 1989, spells out the basic human rights to which children everywhere are entitled. The following sections of the Convention are of particular interest to anyone concerned about the relationship between children, young people and the media. The media's role in protecting and promoting children's rights.
Children's right to participate in the media
Article 12 refers to your right to express your own opinions and to have them taken into account in any matter affecting you. Article 31 talks about your right to participate in leisure, cultural and artistic activities.
Children's right of access to the media, including new media
The right to freedom of expression is defined in Article 13, which also says that you also have the right to receive and share information of all kinds either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of your choice.
Children's right to media education and literacy
Article 17 recognizes "the important function performed by the mass media," and calls on those governments who have signed up to the Convention to "ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources." It also encourages the media "to disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to the child," and calls on governments to encourage the development of guidelines to protect children from harmful material. Articles 28 and 29 (right to education) are also relevant.
Children's right to protection from harm in the media and violence on the screen
Articles 34 and 36 require that children should be protected from sexual and other forms of exploitation, including pornography
