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January 24, 2007 - “A World Fit for Children” - Call for OneMinuteJr videos
Looking for a way to make a difference? Create a one-minute video telling the world what young people think about the world they live in and how they’re making a difference.
In honor of the 5th Anniversary of the Special Session for Children, UNICEF asks youth to look at the four priorities of the session’s adopted agenda “Building a World Fit for Children”: Promoting healthy lives; Providing quality education; Protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence; Combating HIV/AIDS. How have these goals been achieved in your community? What problems still exist in your communities? What suggestions do you have to fix these issues? What can be done to make the world better for children?
January 23, 2007 - Congress, FCC to Examine TV Ads and Kids Obesity
The controversy over the role TV ads play in kids obesity is mounting again as Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin today unveiled plans for a Valentine's Day forum to examine potential voluntary actions that might ease any negative effects ads might have on children.
Further links: Obesity discussion in the UK and in Australia
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| © UNICEF video |
| Diego, 12, and Alejandro, 8, are two of UNICEF’s ‘mini-reporters’ in El Salvador. |
January 19, 2007 - UNICEF ‘mini-reporters’ help launch anti-violence campaign in El Salvador
No one is better qualified to report on children’s issues than children themselves. This was the idea behind the UNICEF-supported ‘mini-reporters’ news show in El Salvador, a pilot created to showcase children’s points of view on issues they face.
Youth journalists Diego Gabriel Figueroa, 12, and Alejandro Falla, 8, were chosen for this special task. Diego and Alejandro took the opportunity to cover UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira’s visit to El Salvador to help launch a campaign against violence. The boys wrote all the questions themselves and then, with a little supervision, went out to file their report.
January 10, 2007 - "Total Youth Think": Newspaper Strategy for the Future
Looking to the future, newspapers around the globe are changing rapidly to increase their appeal to younger readers. Some of the most intriguing examples will be examined at the 7th World Young Reader Conference & Expo, to be held in Washington, D.C., from 25 to 28 March 2007.
The conference, organized by the World Association of Newspapers and hosted by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, will feature case studies, research and a wide variety of strategic approaches to attract younger readers to newspapers.
Conference details are available at: www.wan-press.org/washington
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| Cover page of the Media Education Kit published by UNESCO |
January 3, 2007 - Media Education Kit published by UNESCO
"Media Education: A Kit for Teachers, Students, Parents and Professionals" has been published in English and French by UNESCO. The kit is partly a product of the MENTOR project initiated by UNESCO and supported by the European Commission.
What should Media education be like? Who should provide it? How should it be included in a curriculum? Beyond schools, do families have a say in the matter? Can professionals be involved and how? What strategies can the public adopt to deal with the benefits and the limitations of media?
These are some of the questions addressed by the kit. It proposes a prototype of media education curriculum for the basic qualification of secondary school teachers, but it also extends its modular approach and key concepts (production, language, representation, public) to adults outside the school system, be they parent, media professional or decision-maker. In addition to a teachers' manual and accompanying students' handbook, the kit also contains a manual for parents as well as a handbook on ethical relations with professionals and one on internet literacy.
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January 2, 2007 - Voices of Youth and the International Children's Day of Broadcasting launches Media Magic Digest
UNICEF's Voices of Youth (http://www.unicef.org/voy/) and the International Children's Day of Broadcasting launched today a new online multimedia newsletter which showcases media projects by, with and for children called Media Magic Digest.
Media Magic Digest is a quarterly e-newsletter for people interested in how young people create media around the world and aims to promote dialogue between broadcasters and young media enthusiasts.
The inaugural issue shares stories of original youth-driven programmers produced in different media, including photography, video, radio and print.
"UNICEF has long recognized that the media can be a potent force for change. Media Magic Digest is an attempt to harness the media's influence for the good of children everywhere. The e-newsletter highlights media efforts that involve, inform, and empower young people as well as broadcaster," said Stephen Cassidy, Chief of the Internet, Broadcast and Image Section. "We want adults and children around the globe to share ideas and be inspired by the work of others to create their own imaginative approaches to all media disciplines."
All children have the right to freedom of expression, as affirmed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The projects featured in the Media Digest are compelling examples of what adults and children can do together to create meaningful, positive media experiences for children.
January 2, 2007 - TV ads stress children
Children are getting stressed and depressed by marketing that grooms them for a lifetime of consumerism, new research says. The study says marketing and commercialisation is putting pressure on children to keep up with images of how they should look and what they should own. New Zealand psychologists say the report, by British-based social issues think-tank Compass, backs research that shows overexposure to television can cause problems for children. Compass researcher Zoe Williams said the impact of commercialisation on children should not be ignored.
