#TopicalTalkFestivalHeadlines Media Literacy in Class. Article 17 of the UNCRC: with a special focus on reliable news #TopicalTalkFestival2023

 

This lesson took place today and started out with a warming up asking the students about the UN and what they remembered on the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Then we started focusing on Article 17 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which literally states that "Children have the right to reliable information from the media. Mass media, including digital media, should provide information that is appropriate for children and does not harm their well-being. Governments should help protect children from materials that could harm them."

Working on this article supports the engagement of our students in decision-making processes regarding media content and platforms. It encourages critical thinking and the inclusion of their perspectives, preferences, and concerns about the reliability of breaking news, fostering their active involvement in shaping safely their media environment.

Overall, working on Article 17 of the UNCRC is essential for safeguarding our students' well-being, promoting their media literacy, creating teen-friendly media content, identifying reliable sources, and empowering their participation. Understanding Article 17 is crucial for several reasons that we tried to brainstorm in class, such as:

1. The protection of children's well-being since it emphasises the importance of safeguarding children from harmful information, misinformation and media content. 

2. The contribution to the development of media literacy in education, empowering children to critically analyse and evaluate media content. 

3. The promotion and the creation and dissemination of child-friendly media content. 

4. The establishment of a legal framework for governments to protect children from harmful media content and fake news.

5. The acknowledgement and empowering of children as active participants in society, and their right to access trustworthy information. 

All these points served as a starting point and a pretext for today's session developed as follows (see video and photogallery).