Retooling the Narrative
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The document discusses retooling narratives about children in media. Currently, over 90% of news stories focus on violence involving children, ignoring broader issues. This frames children negatively and influences social perceptions. Alternative narratives need to be constructed that refocus media coverage on underreported issues like children with disabilities, indigenous children, and those from vulnerable families. The age of consent and criminal liability in the Philippines is also discussed as needing reform to better protect children. Overall, the document calls for strategically using media to empower vulnerable children by giving them voice and influencing policy debates in a positive direction.
Retooling the Narrative
- 1. OFF THE BEATEN PATH: RETOOLING THE NARRATIVE Tess Bacalla, PPI Training Director
- 2. OLD VS. NEW NARRATIVES ON CHILDREN
- 3. “To give you an idea of the relentlessness of the messages drummed into our heads, more than ninety percent of news stories about children are about violence by and against children and at least ninety percent of those stories focus on a discrete incident, ignoring larger public policy issues.”discrete incident, ignoring larger public policy questions. by and against children, heads, more than ninety percent of news stories about children are about violence by and against children,7 Matthew I. Fraidin, Changing the Narrative of Child Welfare, Georgetown Journal on Poverty, Law & Policydiscrete incident, ignoring larger public policy questions. by and against children, heads, more than ninety percent of news stories about children are about violence by and against children,7
- 4. “Stories construct ‘social reality’.”discrete incident, ignoring larger public policy questions. by and against children, heads, more than ninety percent of news stories about children are about violence by and against children,7
- 5. REFRAMING THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION REFRAMING THE DEBATE REPOSITIONING THE CAMERA
- 6. CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS COMMERCIALLY SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN STREET CHILDREN
- 7. Children with physical and/or mental disabilities Children from indigenous groups Children of single mothers and those from broken families
- 8. “The media want us to believe raising a child with special needs is hard, a burden and impossible for anyone who is not super human in strength and mental well-being.”
- 9. “But I refuse to say that because my child has diseases or developmental delays that my situation is harder than any other parent in the world.”
- 10. Philippine age of consent for sexual acts
- 11. RA 8353, Anti-Rape Law of 1997, describes rape as a sexual act with anyone below 12 years old
- 12. “This is the lowest age of consent anywhere in the world and this must be changed and challenged.
- 13. “Politicians must be asked why they have left children as young as 12 vulnerable to sexual assault.” — Fr. Shaye Cullen, PREDA
- 14. Criminal liability age may be lowered to 12 DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President- elect Rodrigo Duterte will ask Congress to lower the age of criminal responsibility following reports that criminal gangs are using children to peddle illegal drugs. RA 9344 Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Delinquency Act of 2006— also known as the Pangilinan Law, named after its author Senator Francis Pangilinan— raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 9 to 15 years old, According to the lawmakers, children are being used by criminals as accomplices in their crimes, particularly drug trafficking, because these minors could not be held criminally liable
- 15. What media can do: Offer a new narrative (counternarrative) Reframe the prevailing discourse Train the spotlight on unreported and underreported issues
- 16. What media can do: Adopt strategic and creative storytelling Explore underreported and unreported issues Expand, deepen and broaden the public conversation on children
- 17. Giving voice to the voiceless, power to the powerless, and help to the helpless?
- 18. “… what worries me is the pictures we celebrate and the two-dimensional stories they sometimes tell” Howard Chapnick, Truth Needs No Allydiscrete incident, ignoring larger public policy questions. by and against children, heads, more than ninety percent of news stories about children are about violence by and against children,7
- 19. TOGETHER LET’S BUILD A BETTER AND SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN AS WE WIELD OUR VIRTUAL PENS AND CONSTRUCT A NEW AND POWERFUL NARRATIVE FOR THEM
- 20. Thank you!