PUBLICATIONS: "New publication on young people and harmful media content"

New publication on young people and harmful media content
01-09-2006 (Paris)

UNESCO in collaboration with International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth
and Media, NORDICOM/Goteborg University produced a publication on
"Regulation, Awareness, Empowerment. Young People and harmful Media Content
in the Digital Age".

This book presents a comprehensive review of the field, current knowledge
and recent trends on the subject of offensive and harmful media content and
the protection of minors, evaluative research on different measures,
examples of resources and projects from many parts of the world and, not
least important, reflections on protective measures and media and
information literacy - all forward-looking, with a view to create a better
future for our young.

Many parents, teachers and policy-makers are concerned about the negative
influence they believe media exert on children and young people. There is
particular concern about depictions of violence in the media. But in today's
world violence is only part of the problem. There are also pornographic
films and images, excessive marketing, stereotypical and disrespectful
depictions of young people, women and minorities, hate-mongering messages,
and so forth. Interactive media like the Internet also imply invitations to
risky behaviour in real life in connection with media use. Violence is no
longer an adequate heading; today, terms like "harmful media content" or
"harm and offence in media content" are more in keeping with the situation.
It is this broader term that forms our point of departure in this work.

The title, Regulation, Awareness, Empowerment indicates that whenever
protection of minors against media content and reducing the amount of
harmful media content are discussed, media literacy and information literacy
must always be included. The book is based on surveys different kinds of
efforts at raising such literacy, each of which is accompanied by a
catalogue of best practices, activities and innovative approaches.

The book is edited by Ulla Carlsson and offers examples of activities and
projects with a focus on children's and young people's own media production
as one of the more effective means to raise their level of knowledge and
awareness.

The publication can be downloaded here. Hard copies can be ontained from
Hara Prasad Padhy, UNESCO.

Bibliographic entry:
Regulation, Awareness, Empowerment. Young People and Harmful Media Content
in the Digital Age . - Editor: Ulla Carlsson . - The International
Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media (Nordicom): Göteborg, 2006 ISBN
91-89471-39-3

SOURCE:
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=22724&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

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Chris Schuepp
Young People's Media Network - Coordinator

Youth Media Consulting GbR
c/o ECMC (European Centre for Media Competence)
Bergstr. 8 / 11th floor
D-45770 Marl - Germany

Tel./Fax: +49 2365 502480
Mobile: +49 176 23107083
Email: cschuepp@unicef.org
URL: www.unicef.org/magic
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youthful-media

The YPMN is supported by UNICEF and hosted by the ECMC.

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