"Children are immersed daily in a dense bath of mass media images and messages. Some teach children about the world around them. Others promote deceptive, partial, stereotypical and sometimes harmful perceptions." Edunotes, Issue 2 Volume 3 UNICEF Canada Introduction "Media Literacy for Development & Children's Rights" was created by UNICEF Canada to help young people in grades 6 - 8 understand the role played by the media in influencing their attitudes and perceptions about developing nations and development issues. This module contains a series of lessons, exercises and background information to help familiarize students with the issues and challenges surrounding representation of other countries and cultures by the media. There are two activities in this lesson: Point of View: Children in the Media, and Censorship Case Studies: Who Decides What We See? General backgrounders for this lesson: Why Teach About Media Literacy? Definitions for Use in Activities

Activity One: Point of View: Children in the Media This activity deals with images and perceptions of youth in the media. Resources and materials needed for this activity: newspaper photos and articles used in Lesson Two a copy of the list, Children's Rights and the Media, for each student (or a copy of the full text of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at http://www.unicef.org/crc/index.html) Procedure Step One: Ask the students, working in small groups, to select newspaper photos and articles that involve children, and then sort these into three categories: POSITIVE images of children, NEGATIVE images of children, and NEUTRAL images of children. They can discuss and record in their journals: How many items concerned children compared to other items? Compare the number of positive, negative and neutral images of children. Describe how children are portrayed in the news: are they victims? are they aggressors? are they portrayed as contributing members of society? are they given voice (e.g., quoted or consulted by the reporter)? are they reporters? What stereotypes or bias about children/youth seem to be presented in the news? How much of the content is information to help youth improve their health and well-being? Do you feel that your lifestyle and point of view are reflected in the media? If yes, when and where? If not, what is missing? Step Two: If the full text of the Convention is used, ask students in pairs to cut out the articles that have some connection to media issues (particularly the issues raised in Step One). Alternatively, give each pair one of the rights in the list, Children's Rights and the Media. Ask each pair to give an example of how their rights can be positively affected by the media, and an example of how these rights can be negatively affected by the media. Students can paste examples from print media in their journals, or give written examples. Share an example from each right with the class. Step Three: In pairs again, students choose an article of the Convention, and create and implement an action that promotes that right in the media. For example, for article 12 (children's opinion), students could write a letter to the editor of a news program, paper or magazine urging youth to be interviewed or contracted to report on issues that concern them. For article 24 (health and health care), students could analyze a teen-magazine for images and messages about health, and create a cover (and articles) for an alternative magazine that positively promotes health.

Activity Two: Censorship Case Studies: Who Decides What We See? In this activity, students review two case studies to explore children's rights issues related to mass media and censorship. Resources and Materials a copy of the list, Children's Rights and the Media, for each student (or a copies of the full text of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at http://www.unicef.org/crc/index.html). a copy of ONE of the Censorship Case Studies for each pair of students: half the pairs should get Case Study One and half Case Study Two. Procedure Step One: Initiate a class discussion about censorship. How do the students define censorship? What is its purpose? What do you feel needs to be censored and why? Who should decide what should be censored? Should young people be consulted and involved in the censorship process? Step Two: Stage a class debate on this statement: "Children's rights are protected (or harmed) by censorship," or on the statement, "Media Literacy/Education is better than censorship (or Censorship is better than Media Literacy) to protect children's well-being." Allow the two sides to prepare for the debate by giving them copies of Children's Rights and the Media - or the full text of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Students should particularly consider the potential impacts (positive or negative) of censorship on the rights to non-discrimination (article 2), information (article 17), participation (articles 12, 13, 14), health (article 24), culture (article 30) and exploitation (article 34). Step Three: Give a copy of one of the Censorship Case Studies and the list, Children's Rights and the Media, to each pair of students. Ask each pair to: Read their case study. Discuss if and how censorship is occurring, who is doing the censoring and why. Decide which children's rights the censorship will affect, positively or negatively: put a "+" beside the rights on the list that could be positively affected and a "-" beside the rights that could be negatively affected. Write in their journals a proposed resolution to the controversy that will best protect all the rights. Consider: What would you do in this situation? Who might help? How could the young person work to protect their rights? What resolutions might consider the interests of all parties - parents, teachers, students? Step Four: Ask each Case Study One pair to join with a Case Study Two pair, and discuss their cases and resolutions. Invite the groups to share their observations with the whole class.