City kids tell media " Get your act together"

Children of the city don't like the way their generation is portrayed in the media. Widespread stereotypes of children and the demonisation of black youth are among their concerns. That's the message in a hard-hitting study of media views on children by Senab Adekunle, 15, editor, and her team from the Children's Express training programme. Their report called "Kids These Days..." forced normally laid back media professionals and educators to sit up and take notice at a seminar in London.

The fledgling journalists, many of them from distressed inner city areas, were critical of "the ways children are portrayed in the news these days." They had systematically studied major national dailies: The Sun, Star, Mirror, Mail, Express, Telegraph, Independent and Guardian. During one week's coverage, Senab and her team analysed all cuttings featuring children deemed to stereotype them in some way. Kids are seen by the papers as "right little characters, as status symbols, as brave little angels, and not like kids used to be", they conclude.

Well trained
These views carry some weight. All of the study team were trained at the CE journalism programme for children aged 8-18 years of age. They have experience operating as a news agency, researching and selling stories to local, national, and regional print and broadcast outlets.

Negative images hurt
These "stereotypes affect me in my life", said a black colleague. "One of the reasons is because I'm black, and black people are portrayed as thugs and as people who are no good. Sir Paul Condon did say that a certain percentage of crimes are committed by black youths. I'm a black youth. I have not committed any crime. But I don't like it that people look at me and immediately stereotype me and say: "Because she's black, she can't do this, can't do that." I know for a fact that I can do a lot of things, and when people get to know me, regardless of what my hair looks like or how I'm dressed, they find that I am a nice person."

The well-prepared and presented report won acclaim from partners in the seminar, the Save the Children Foundation charity. SCF believes "that by respecting young people's views and taking them seriously, they themselves are likely to become responsible adults with a stake in the community".

Congratulations
Working journalist Robin Lustig, presenter of The World Tonight, BBC Radio 4, said: "I've had my consciousness raised, so you have been successful. I thought your analysis was fascinating".

Jack O'Sullivan, associate editor of The Independent, concluded the seminar by congratulating the young journalists. He recognised the limitations of newsrooms, but said, "Young people need to think about influencing the newspapers their parents buy...If papers that are very negative and brutal towards children are not bought -- if the result is a loss of sales -- then that message will eventually get through".

The report "Kids these Days..." can be obtained from the Children's Express at telephone 0171-262-5003; fax 0171-278-7722.