How Should the Media Cover Violence Against Children?
Workshop title: (Non)respect of Children’s Rights in the Media: Violence against Children and Education
Who is the workshop designed for: All print, broadcast and online journalists who want to advance their skills in reporting on children
Duration of the workshop: 17-18 December 2007
Venue of the workshop: Mediacentar Sarajevo
Why should I apply for the workshop: B-H journalists are expected to advance standards of media coverage of children and minors in order to create a better environment and ensure responsibility of media dealing with this sensitive issue. The workshop has a practical focus: participants will find out first-hand about specific experiences of staff from a “safe house” – Association of Citizens “Budućnost Modriča” (an institution providing support to child victims of violence), who will use examples to point out different forms of violence and the specific role of media covering them.
What will I learn:
• What is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and how is the Convention applied in B-H;• Most common violations of the Convention in the B-H education system and consequences of violations;• Is there segregation in schools and how do politics and the media treat the issue;• What are the forms of violence against children: domestic violence, violence in society and violence in the education system;• What is stigmatization of children and youth in the media;• How to avoid sensationalism and maintain professionalism in covering these issues: recommendations on terminology in reporting and publishing photographs about children and youth;• How to make interviews with children;• What is the role of media in solving the issue.
Workshop program: The program will be based on a theoretical part and a practical part. During the first day of the workshop, participants will be acquainted with the term violence against children and the role of media in coverage of violence against children. Participants will be acquainted in more detail with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. They will then analyze specific media examples in which the rights from the UN Convention were violated. The program for the second day of the workshop will be devoted to the issue of discrimination and ethnic segregation of children in education in B-H and the role of the state in education of children. In addition to analyzing specific examples, emphasis will be placed on discussion and exchange of experience among lecturers and participants with regard to working with children and reporting on children and youth. During the workshop, participants will receive training materials, guides and instructions on how to work with the issue.
About the lecturers: Ljiljana Zita, holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law with many years of experience in working on protection of human rights; Gordana Vidović, Director of the Association of Citizens ‘Budućnost Modriča’; Senija Tahirović, Regional Director of Save the Children Norway for South East Europe; Fatima Smajlović, Coordinator of the Program ‘Ispravimo budućnost kroz obrazovanje’ (Let’s Mend the Future through Education); and lead lecturer Mehmed Halilović, Deputy Ombudsman on Media of the Federation of B-H.
How to apply: Those interested in participating in the workshop should submit:
• CV/biography (with personal contact details and a short description of professional background)• Short letter of motivation for participating in the workshop
Contact person:
Lejla KapetanovićMediacentar Sarajevo+ 387 33 715 840lejla@media.ba
Participants will receive certificates on completion of the workshop.
After the workshop: Upon the completion of the two-day workshop, Save the Children Norway Office for South East Europe will announce a competition for best news story on the rights of the child and best photograph on the same issue.
For more details on the competition, please go to http://www.savethechildrennorway-see.ba.
The workshop is financially supported by Save the Children Norway Office for South East Europe.