Summary: Youth Forum Preparatory Session on Human Rights

Small Group Discussion: Role of Media in Peace Development

This session addressed the relation between media and youth and how youth can impact what is published in media in relations to human rights. Participants concluded that youth have to stop being passive and start becoming responsible journalists, as this is the only way to influence media and propagate peace. 

The following issues were discussed:

1. Media and politics consciously or unconsciously express the interest of the power holder as it is controlled in many countries – sometimes by the government, or by private organizations where personal agenda is at the forefront. In some countries, political parties, use media like television channels for their own propaganda. Coverage of events like the Gulf war and the war in Bosnia broadcast by CNN were illusions and did not reflect actual reality. In some regions, there is only one channel of information and people who sometimes do not think for themselves have no other option but to accept what they see, as reality. The media is also responsible for broadcast of violence, not only in terms of reporting war situations, but also violence in movies, and serials which desensitize the public, both young and not-so-young.

2. Youth are the primary target audience of media - as consumer, or sometimes as a political tool. And some youth have allowed themselves to become objects of the media. Young people should become opinion leaders and begin disseminating messages of peace and non-violence, without playing “media games”.

3. Alternative methods could be used to educate young people especially about the millennium development goals. Art, culture, sports could be used as tools. The entertainment industry could also be utilized for this purpose. Public figures like singers, movie stars and sports stars can be brought in as they are idols and role models of the youth. Other methods are the Internet, letters to newspaper editors, posters, demonstrations, essay/poetry competitions, marches could be used to educate young people in schools and colleges. One should not also forget that interpersonal or one-to-one communication is one of the best tools to spread information. The more we lobby the media, the more it becomes our voice.

Public interests and media coverage
One interesting question brought up was whether the media really knew what the audience wanted. One participant pointed out that it appeared that people were more interested in consequences of war, rather than causes of war – like political or military decisions. It was said that youth are being de-sensitized by constant exposure to violent scenes and that this is one of the reasons of reported violence and killings in high schools around the world.

Conclusions
Participants concluded that youth have to begin to play a more pro-active role and change the paradigm from “media influencing youth” to “youth influencing media”. Young people need to hype up issues to get media attention.

Click here for all available presenters' documents
Click here for all available summaries

Please read about the summaries