Does the media demonise kids - or are the authorities?
Published: Thursday, November 17, 2005
By Jon Slattery
Editors have counter-attacked after being accused of running only negative stories that "demonise" children and young people.
Speaking at a conference on "Children's rights versus press freedom", they highlighted how growing fears about paedophiles are preventing the local press from publishing stories and pictures celebrating the success and achievements of the young.
Ex-Bath Chronicle editor David Gledhill told the conference: "The press cannot talk to children. We are not allowed to take pictures or talk about their successes. A whole generation of children will not exist.
"When I was editor of the Chronicle there were endless arguments with head teachers. Sometimes there were good reasons for not publishing pictures or a story, but on the main it was head teachers scared that a paedophile would get hold of it and do something nasty.
"I don't subscribe to that, paedophiles have been here for ever and will always be, but we cannot remove children from the world so there is no paedophilia."
Young People's Media Network - Coordinator
c/o ECMC (European Centre for Media Competence)
Bergstr. 8 / 11th floor
D-45770 Marl - Germany
Email: cschuepp@unicef.org
URL: www.unicef.org/magic
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youthful-media
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