Summary:

This report CRC/C/57 includes the General Discussion on "the child and the media" which was held on 7 October 1996 (paragraphs 242 - 257, pp. 42-48), as well as the list of documents and contributions submitted for the day (Annex VI, pp.72-74)

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Report CRC/C/57

The General discussion on the child and the media are summarised in paragraphs 242 - 257, on page 42.

Here is an excerpt of that report, specifically paragraphs 256-257 which outlines the recommendations from the day of discussion.

256. On the basis of the discussions on the various issues both at the plenary and by the three panels, the following recommendations were formulated by the Rapporteur for the thematic debate:

1. Child media. A dossier should be compiled on positive practical experiences of active child participation in the media, such as “Children's Express” in the United Kingdom and the United States.

2. Child forum within Internet. The UNICEF-initiated “Voices of Youth” at the World Wide Web should be promoted and advertised as a positive facility for international discussion on important issues between young people.

3. Active child libraries. The experience of dynamic child libraries, or child departments within public libraries, should be documented and disseminated.

4. Media education. Knowledge about the media, their impact and functioning should be imparted in schools at all levels. Students should be enabled to relate to and use the media in a participatory manner, as well as to learn how to decode media messages, including in advertising.

Good experiences in some countries should be made available to others.

5. State support to media for children. There is a need for budgetary support to ensure the production and dissemination of children's books, magazines and papers, music, theatre and other artistic expressions for children, as well as child oriented films and videos. Assistance through international cooperation should also support media and art for children.

6. Constructive agreements with media companies to protect children against harmful influences. Facts should be gathered about various attempts at voluntary agreements with media companies on positive measures, such as not broadcasting violent programmes during certain hours, clear presentations before programmes about their content and the development of technical devices, such as “V-chips”, to help consumers to block out certain types of programmes. Likewise, experiences with respect to the introduction of voluntary ethical standards and mechanisms to encourage respect for them should be assembled and evaluated; this should include an analysis of the effectiveness of existing codes of conduct, professional guidelines, press councils, broadcasting councils, press ombudsmen and similar bodies.

7. Comprehensive national plans of action to empower parents in the media market. Governments should initiate a national discussion on means to promote positive alternatives to the negative tendencies in the media market, to encourage media knowledge and support parents in their role as guides to their children in relation to electronic and other media. An international workshop should be organized to promote a discussion on this approach.

8. Advice on implementation of article 17 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A study should be conducted with the purpose of developing advice to Governments on how they could encourage the development of “guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material injurious to his or her well- being”. Such a study should also serve the purpose of assisting the Committee on the Rights of the Child in drafting a general comment on article 17.

9. Specific guidelines for reporting on child abuse. To encourage further discussion in newsrooms and within the media community as a whole guidelines should be drafted by appropriate journalist bodies on how to report on abuse of children and at the same time protect the dignity of the children involved. Special emphasis should be placed on the issue of not exposing the identity of the child.

10. Material for journalist education on child rights. Material should be produced to assist journalist and media schools on child rights standards, established procedures for child rights monitoring, existing international, regional and national institutions working with children, as well as basic aspects of child development. The manual planned by the Centre for Human Rights of the United Nations as a tool for journalist education on human rights should be widely disseminated when produced.

11. Network for media watchgroups. The positive work of media watchgroups in various countries should be encouraged and “good ideas” transferred between countries. The purpose is to give media consumers a voice in the discussion on media ethics and children. A focal point for exchanges should be established.

12. Service to “child rights correspondents”. Interested journalists should be invited to sign up on a list of “child rights correspondents”. They should be provided regularly with information about important child issues and with interesting reports by others, and be seen as media advisers to the international child rights community.

257. In view of the various contributions made and the importance of the issues considered, the Committee felt that there was a need to ensure follow-up to the general discussion. It was therefore decided that a working group on the media and the Convention on the Rights of the Child should be constituted to consider further the various recommendations made. This working group should include representatives of the Committee, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Department of Public Information, the International Federation of Journalists and non-governmental organizations. It was requested that that working group should consider, in particular, constructive ways of ensuring implementation of the 12 recommendations and other proposals made during the discussion. The Committee decided to authorize Mr.Thomas Hammarberg to represent it on the working group and initiate its convening. The group is expected to report to the Committee at a future session (May- June 1997).

Previous CRC - Basic Reference Document items

• 30/10/1996: Directives générales concernant la forme et le contenu des rapports initiaux
• 07/10/1996: Documents submitted for the Day of General Discussion (7 October 1996) on Children and the Media
• 01/09/1996: General guidelines for periodic reports
• 01/09/1996: Orientaciones generales para los informes periódicos
• 01/09/1996: Directives générales pour les rapports périodiques

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