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Fair Say <fairsay_dail_na_nog>

	Press Release	740 días hace
	Calling all journalists: Tired of standing on cold streets searching for misbehaving teenagers? Friday 14 December 2007 Not a day that goes by that a story is written in the paper, heard on the radio or seen on the television about misbehaving teens. ‘Even the word teenager conjures up images of drunken fifteen year old girls, falling around in their stiletto heels or stories of how young male drivers are the worst in the country. As with any group of society, we juveniles are getting tired of always being painted with the same brush’ said Stephanie Kelly, representing a new campaign set up by the Dáil na nÓg Council. The Dáil na nÓg Council is responsible following-up the recommendations from the national youth parliament for teenagers aged 12-18 years. ‘We conduct research into the main recommendations from Dáil na nÓg and try to make changes for young people in those areas. One of the top statements from Dáil na nÓg 2007 was that teenagers are negatively portrayed by the media, particularly in the coverage surrounding the Junior Cert celebrations’ added Stephanie Kelly. The Council decided to set up the Fairsay campaign to monitor the portrayal of teenagers in the media and encourage media organisations to more often focus on positive achievements and aspirations of teenagers. Fairsay decided to focus on the coverage surrounding Junior Cert results celebrations. ‘For a week before Junior results day and a week after, we monitored every national and local newspaper in Ireland, with the help of a media research expert and a media monitoring company. We noticed definite differences in the angle taken by broad sheet newspapers as opposed to tabloids. The sources in most of the positive articles were teenagers themselves, being given the chance to voice their views on Junior Cert night. The negative articles used little or no reliable sources basing their stories mainly on hearsay and their personal opinions of journalists and included shocking headlines used to draw readers in at the expense of teenagers. We found that teenager’s voices actually being heard, has a positive effect on media coverage’ stated Maria Kelly, also of Fairsay. These findings are published, along with a teenager's point of view, in this Friday's Irish Times, which marks the beginning of the Fairsay campaign. ‘We are realists. We know the print and broadcast media have a duty to report that some young people choose to spend their Junior Certificate results night drinking and behaving in an irresponsible manner. But we believe that these young people are the minority and would question whether it was right to take advantage of young people who didn't celebrate wisely’ stated Stephanie Kelly. ‘The Fairsay campaign doesn't claim to represent the whole teen nation. There are teenagers who may disagree with us. There are still others eager to be heard who can be easily found through student councils and local Comhairlí na nÓg in every city and county’ added Maria Kelly. Tired of standing on cold streets searching for misbehaving teenagers? Now you don't have to. Get the facts, a better story, and give teenagers a fair say. By Triona Brick. Media contacts: Stephanie Kelly Maria Kelly fairsay07@gmail.com Bebo site: http://www.bebo.com/FairSay-Dail-na-nOg Web: www.dailnanog.i Editor’s Notes • Fairsay is a campaign, set up by Dáil na nÓg Councillors, to monitor the portrayal of teenagers in the media. • Fairsay aims to encourage media organisations to more often focus on positive achievements and aspirations of teenagers. • Fairsay wants to eliminate stereotyping, discrimination and patronizing attitudes towards teenagers often found in the media. We want the media to acknowledge the fact that we are a product of our society and our behaviour is heavily influenced by the example set for us by adults.
	escrito por Fair Say