*
:
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: YOUNG
PEOPLE AND THE MEDIA
POLICY ISSUES PAPER
|
CONTENTS
1: INTRODUCTION
The Youth Affairs Council Of Victoria
2
The Relationship Between Media And Young People
2
YACVic's Work
3
2: YOUNG PEOPLE AS SUBJECTS
The Media Representation Of Young People:
What Does The Research Say?
4
Young People As Problems
4
Young People As High Achievers
6
What Factors Influence The Representation Of Young People?
7
3: YOUNG PEOPLE AS CONSUMERS
Switching Off From The Mainstream
8
Alternative Options
8
4: YOUNG PEOPLE AS PRODUCERS
Participating In The Media
9
Examples of young people in the media
12
How Are Young People Participating?
14
Creating Opportunities For Greater Involvement
14
5: APPENDIX ONE
In The Spotlight: Young People And The Media Forum Program
16
6: END NOTES
19
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
1
1
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INTRODUCTION
THE YOUTH AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF
VICTORIA
The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic) is
the peak body representing the youth sector.
YACVic provides a means through which the youth
sector and young people voice their opinions and
concerns in regard to issues and policies affecting
them. YACVic works with and makes representations to government and serves as an advocate for
the interests of young people, workers with young
people and organisations that provide direct services
to young people. YACVic also promotes and supports the participation of young people in debate
and policy development in areas that most affect
them. YACVic's resources are primarily directed
towards policy analysis and development: research
and consultation and to meeting the information,
networking, education and training needs of
our constituency.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
MEDIA AND YOUNG PEOPLE
‘The media's representation of young people's participation in society is important given the significant role the media plays in influencing society's
concept of youth and it's perception of what
young people are capable of.’ 1
Young people are the subjects, consumers and producers of media. 2 Although the relationship
between young people and the media is multifaceted, discussions often focus on young people as
subjects, that is, the way young people are represented in the media. The media's portrayal of young
people is an important issue for both young people
and those that work with them because the media
plays a critical role in shaping concepts of 'youth'
and influencing the development of public opinion
and policy.
In YACVic's consultations with young people and
workers, media representation consistently rates as
one of their key issues of concern. There is a general
consensus that the media portrayal of young people
is unbalanced with too much emphasis on the problems of youth. This results in stereotypes that do
not reflect the diversity of young people and their
experiences but rather places young people into simplistic categories. Young people believe stereotypes
are created because the media largely ignores the
views of young people in discussions about social
issues.
Young people see a clear link between the way they
are portrayed in the media and the way they are
perceived in the community.3 Stereotypes can lead
to fear and suspicion of young people among other
members of the community and young people often
feel misunderstood and discriminated against. For
this reason young people have called for reporting
to be 'more accurate, realistic and positive' and for
more opportunities to be involved in the media. 4
2
YACVic also believes that if young people are more
involved in the media and in the development of
reports, stereotypes will begin to be challenged.
Why is it so important to challenge the stereotypical
images portrayed in the media? Commentators
overwhelmingly agree that the media exerts a significant influence over public opinion and in turn the
development of public policy. The media frames
public debate by either ignoring or highlighting
events and as many readers, viewers and listeners
accept news reports as fact, the way in which the
media defines an issue can influence public debate
and policy decisions. 5 A recent example of the
media's capacity to frame public debate was the
reporting of young people and volatile substance
inhalation which led to changes in service delivery
and public policy. 6 If negative images dominate
news reports about young people, there is a danger
that policy decisions will respond to stereotypes
rather than the diversity of young people's needs.
So how does the media represent young people? Are
the images fair and accurate? Or does the media create stereotypes which reinforce community prejudices? How often do we hear the voices of young
people in the media? Which young people? And on
which issues? How can we create more opportunities for young people to get involved? And will
young people's participation help to change the
nature of reporting?
To answer these questions, YACVic decided to
explore the complex relationship between the media
and young people further. This paper looks at
young people as subjects, consumers and producers
of media. It examines:
■ How young people are portrayed in the
mainstream media.
■ The factors that influence the media's portrayal
of young people.
■ The impact the media's representation has had
on young people's consumption of news media.
■ Where young people are involved in media
activities in Victoria.
■ How young people can influence media
reporting and reframe notions of 'youth'.
Just as young people are not a homogenous group,
the media is not a single entity. 'Media' can incorporate news and information media, advertising,
internet and digital media, television dramas and
soaps etc. The focus of this report is news and information media, primarily print, television and radio.
The report provides an overview of existing research
and incorporates work that YACVic has undertaken
over the past year.
YACVIC'S WORK
This issues paper is based on a variety of work that
YACVic has undertaken during 2002 and 2003.
HAVING A SAY: YOUNG PEOPLE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE MEDIA
Prue Hill, a member of YACVic's Youth Reference
Group, considered the media's representation of
young people as part of a student placement at
YACVic. Her research was based on the theory that
the media portrayal of young people is unbalanced
because young people are not given the opportunity
to contribute to public debate on issues that affect
them. Prue examined whether young people are
contributing to media activities in Victoria and if
so, to what degree. The research involved a survey
of all metropolitan, suburban, regional and rural
newspapers and radio stations in Victoria to determine whether young people were participating in
those organisations. Although the findings do not
represent all the opportunities that exist for young
people in Victoria, the results do provide a valuable
snapshot of how young people are currently participating in Victorian media.
YOUNG PEOPLE, DRUGS AND THE MEDIA
YACVic undertook an analysis of the relationship
between young people, drugs and the media and
specifically how the media employ images of young
people in discussions around drug use. This project
was initiated and funded by the Media Studies
Program, School of Communication, La Trobe
University (MSP/LTU) and was conducted collaboratively between MSP/LTU and YACVic. The study
resulted in:
■ A bibliography of recent reports and data on
drug use and young people.
■ An annotated bibliography of recent books and
journal articles that analyse the relationship
between media representations, youth culture and
drugs.
■ A content analysis of reports published in The
Age, The Herald Sun, The Sydney Morning
Herald and The Australian during Drug Action
Week June 24th-29th 2002. The analysis was
based on reports that specifically mentioned both
young people and drugs. Articles were located
using the Nexus Database for the terms youth,
young people, teenager and alcohol, drug, illicit,
drink, heroin, marijuana, and substance. The documents were analysed according to language (use
of words and imagery), characteristics (location in
the paper, use of headlines, use of photos) and
sources of information (spokespeople).
■ Identification of projects that engage young
people in media activities as a way to address selfesteem, social status and drug use.
The findings highlight the complexity of the images
used in the media to portray constructs of youth.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT FORUM
In February 2003 YACVic, in conjunction with the
Inner City Regional Youth Committee and the
Centre for Adolescent Health, organised a forum to
bring together members of the media, young people
and workers with young people to explore the relationship between young people and the media. The
forum also showcased the wealth of independent
media produced by young people. The forum was
held at St Kilda Town Hall and about 200 people
attended.
The day kicked off with a lively panel discussion.
The discussion centred around a hypothetical situation involving the daughter of a fictional Premier
who had been involved in a car crash where the
young driver was over the blood alcohol limit.
Panellists discussed how the story would gain
momentum and how this could influence public
policy. Panellists included:
■ Michael Gawenda, The Age
■ Russel Gould, Herald Sun
■ Alison Dean, Melbourne Times
■ Andrew Van Smeerdijk, Ballarat Courier
■ Belinda Hawkins, Australian Story and
Melbourne Press Club
■ Jo Curtin, SYN FM
■ Lee Burton, Australian Children's
Television Foundation
■ Mark Gardy, MX
■ Nicola Quin, Department of Human Services
■ David Murray, Youth Substance Abuse Service
■ Janet Jukes, YACVic
■ Lise Dalla Torre, YACVic Young
Media Spokesperson
The second half of the day focused on skill development. A range of workshops were organised for
young people and workers covering topics such as
managing the media, communicating your message
and making a media complaint. A full program of
the day is provided in Appendix One. Young people
and workers were also asked to complete a survey to
elicit their response to the issue of young people
and the media. Some quotes from these surveys are
used throughout this paper.
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
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YOUNG PEOPLE AS
SUBJECTS
THE MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF
YOUNG PEOPLE: WHAT DOES THE
RESEARCH SAY?
The media representation of young people has been
the subject of much research some of which will be
explored in the following pages. Time and again,
researchers conclude that news items concerning
young people are mostly limited to the controversial
and emphasise the problematic nature of youth.
This serves to create and reinforce stereotypes about
young people. 7 Research by the Australian Centre
for Independent Journalism (ACIJ) found that
young people are 'discriminated against or misrepresented through strongly entrenched media practices
which remain uncontested'. 8 Key findings of the
ACIJ study include:
■ Newspapers and magazines offer limited and
negative information about young people.
■ Linguistic bias is prevalent in reports about
young people - the word 'youth' has come to be
associated with negative connotations about young
people i.e 'youth gangs'.
■ Topical bias is prevalent - young people and
criminal activity accounts for the major proportion
of media coverage.
■ Thematic bias is prevalent - the problems of
young people are emphasised.
■ The voice of young people is noticeably absent.
■ The achievements of young people are frequently patronised, trivialised or ignored.
■ The sporting achievements of young people are
given greatest prominence. 9
Although the media is often accused of presenting a
one-dimensional and negative image of young people the issue is not that simple. It appears that the
media actually portrays dichotomous images of
young people: evil vs. innocent, no-hoper vs. high
achiever. This results in 'the inherent normality and
goodness of some (young people) and the fundamental abnormality and dangerousness of others.’ 10
YOUNG PEOPLE AS PROBLEMS
Young people
are portrayed
in the media
as no-hopers
who only care
about drugs
and crime.
The media
need to be
informed that
not all young
people fit this
stereotype
(Age 20).
In the
Spotlight
participant
4
Binge drinking takes hold among youth. 11
Gatecrasher gang 'like wild animals'. 12 Accused teen
liked knives. 13 Trying to curb the teen
binge rampage. 14
‘The cultural message about young people is that
they are a trouble-stricken, undifferentiated group
characterised by moral illness, irresponsibility and
powerlessness'. 15
Previous research suggests that a narrow range of
topics including drugs, crime, homelessness, unemployment and defiance of authority has become
almost exclusively associated with the young. 16
Because young people are consistently reported
alongside negative issues, the public consciousness
inevitably associates young people with problems. 17
As one researcher notes 'saturation coverage of one
bad kid story can really skew the whole picture.' 18
Crime and drug use typically dominate the reports
about problematic young people.
YOUNG PEOPLE, CRIME AND DEVIANCE
‘The dominant issue to which young people are
linked in the media is crime, and the role in which
they are cast is frequently that of the criminal,
especially young men.’ 19
The ACIJ study of NSW print media found that
reports about young people and crime show particular characteristics. The age of young people tends to
be cited whether or not relevant to the story which
reinforces the association between young people and
crime. 20 Large headlines and graphic language are
commonly utilised and the term 'youth' is often
used to describe the young person. 21 Attempts to
analyse the reasons for the crime are rare. 22 Thus,
although there is nothing intrinsically criminal
about being a young person 23 the frequency and
characteristics of these news reports creates the
image that young people are troublemakers and a
threat to the rest of the community. It is interesting
that reports tend to associate young people as the
perpetrators of crime when in fact young men in
particular are most likely to be the victims of crime.
For example, recent ABS statistics indicate that 38%
of victims of robbery were young men aged
between 15-24. 24
The association between young people and crime
can significantly influence the way young people are
perceived by the wider community and their ability
to access public space. For example, community
consultations in metro Melbourne found that the
presence of young people, especially in groups,
made many people feel unsafe in the city. 25
Research suggests that the presence of young people
in public space is often construed as dangerous and
disruptive and as a result there has been increasing
control and surveillance of young people who 'hang
out' in public space. 26
Strategies to address the concerns of older members
of the community often result in the exclusion of
young people from public space. For example, the
Western Australian government has recently introduced a formal curfew for anyone under the age of
eighteen found unsupervised in a popular nightclub
and restaurant precinct. 27 In explaining the reason
for the curfew, the WA Premier said that 'it is not
just a case of these kids engaging in anti-social
behaviour, their age makes them vulnerable. They
are not just a nuisance to others, they are a risk to
themselves'. 28 Curfews are often based on exaggerated ideas about youth criminality and are premised
on the idea of young people as a threat to the community. 29 The exclusion of young people from
public space demonstrates that young people are not
valued as members of the community. 30 The overall message is that young people are 'out of order
and out of place.' 31
YOUNG PEOPLE AND DRUG USE
‘Stories about… drug abuse perpetuate myths
about the fundamental immorality or irresponsibility of the young.’ 32
Because the media is the primary source of information about drugs for many people, a significant
body of literature has developed which analyses the
way the media reports drug issues. 33 Although
there has been a lot of work around the media representation of young people and the media portrayal
of drugs, there has been little analysis about the
media reporting of young people and drug use.
YACVic conducted an examination of this issue in a
small-scale study that was initiated and funded by
the Media Studies Program, School of
Communication, La Trobe University (MSP/LTU)
and conducted collaboratively between MSP/LTU
and YACVic. The study involved an examination of
media reports about young people and drug use
during Drug Action Week 2002 34 to determine
how images of 'youth' are constructed when combined with reports about legal and illicit drugs.
The following section provides an outline of the
findings. Overall findings support the notion that
young people are portrayed as problematic.
However, in relation to drug use, 'youth' is not associated with deviance but rather to innocence, irresponsibility and victimisation.
YOUTH, DRUGS AND VICTIMS
The image of young people as victims of drugs and
drug use was an ongoing theme in the reports
analysed. The image of victim emerges where the
young person's drug use is attributed to circumstances out of their control, typically the behaviour
of others. This theme is apparent in the following
description of a 21 year-old man who appeared
before the Drug Court in Melbourne: 'After his
alcoholic parents repeatedly bashed him, his grandmother took him in. The illiterate youth embarked
on a life of alcohol and drug abuse'. 35
This young man is portrayed as the victim of the
abuse he experienced as a child and the breakdown
of his family. He is also the victim of drugs; both his
parent's use of alcohol and his own subsequent drug
use which resulted in his offending behaviour. The
notion that problematic drug use can be associated
with victimisation is confirmed with the words 'a
classic history of a drug offender'. This image is
reinforced with the accompanying story of a woman
appearing before the court whose drug use is associated with her 'suffering at the hands of others'. 36
An image of victim of circumstance also emerges.
One article details the proceedings of a rape case.
The victim, a 20-year-old woman, was raped by a
group of young men after 'she got off with them at
Bankstown station to share a smoke of marijuana
but (instead) was taken to a carpark toilet block
where she was raped repeatedly'. 37 In this instance,
there is no overt moral judgement attributed to the
young people's marijuana smoking although the
drug is ultimately associated with her becoming the
victim of an horrific assault.
YOUTH, DRUGS AND INNOCENCE
The innocence of youth is a key theme underpinning much of the reporting around young people
and drugs in this sample. Drug use is associated
with the loss of innocence. The notion of the 'innocence' of 'youth' may be used by the media to warn
the community against the 'scourge' of drugs.
An Age article provides the most explicit example of
this image. The article examines the recent establishment of the Drug Court in Dandenong and provides a detailed description of a woman appearing
before the court. Although this woman is now 30
years old, the report highlights the loss of her innocence as a child which is directly attributed to drug
use: 'she has been a drug user since she was nine …
drugs stole her childhood'. 38 Here, references to
childhood serve to reinforce the notion of innocence. The journalist goes on to report that the
woman's daughter has also been affected by her
drug use thus drugs are represented as stealing two
childhoods: 'drugs stole her childhood and, more
recently, her own child when social services took her
baby girl into care'. 39
Distinctions between childhood and adolescence
may also be blurred to highlight the supposed danger of drugs. For example in a report about road
accidents that are associated with alcohol and drugs,
a State Government Minister referred to 'the number of young children affected by alcohol who are
dying' (emphasis added). 40 The content of the article actually refers to 16-17 years olds who have been
killed in road accidents. 16 and 17 years olds are
certainly not 'young children'. The term is arguably
used to create greater consternation about the issue
of young people and intoxication.
Although innocence was a key theme in this sample,
previous research suggests that innocence is not the
dominant theme in reports relating to young people
from culturally diverse backgrounds. The media
often focuses on the ethnicity of young people in
relation to drug reporting and this perpetuates the
notion that drugs are primarily associated with particular ethnic groups. 41 In Victoria, the focus has
been on Vietnamese young people as both drug
users and drug dealers. In this instance, the image of
deviant and criminal young people persists and
there is little analysis of the broader social and structural issues surrounding drug related issues in these
communities. This image distorts the reality of the
demographics of drug users and has had a perceptible negative effect on Vietnamese young people. In
some instances young people have withdrawn from
public life due to the discrimination they have experienced and alienation they feel at being portrayed
in this way. 42
YOUTH, DRUGS AND IRRESPONSIBILITY
A third theme is the irresponsibility of youth. In this
sample, young people's irresponsible behaviour is
portrayed as reckless rather than wilful. They are irresponsible in that they drink to excess and mix alcohol
and drugs putting their health and lives in danger. It
is suggested that this characteristic results from
young people's belief that they are 'invincible'. 44
In the article about roads deaths discussed above,
the Minister is quoted as saying that young people
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
5
are dying due to binge drinking: 'this 16-17 age
group thinks it's invincible but these figures show
they are not'. 45 It is interesting that the report targets the irresponsibility of 'youth' when the deathtoll figures provided in the article indicate that adult
pedestrians are far more likely to be killed when
affected by alcohol and other drugs. A state government investigation found that over a four year period there were 392 pedestrian deaths. 125 of these
pedestrians were affected by alcohol, 100 by drugs
and 39 a combination of both and 'alcohol was a
contributing factor in the death of a dozen 16 - 17
year olds' (emphasis added). Thus, there is a discrepancy between the statistics and the key theme of
the article which is the irresponsible drinking of
young people. In fact the greater problem seemingly
lies with the drinking behaviour of other, unidentified age groups.
Articles referred to young people endangering their
health as a result of their drinking and drug use:
'Teens who drank alcohol before their liver was fully
developed risked damaging it… More likely to be
involved in accidents … More likely to become violent and aggressive…Binge drinking also often led
to unwanted sexual advanced or unsafe sex'. 46
INTERVENTION AND PROTECTION
Underpinning these constructs of 'youth' is the
notion that health professionals and the State must
intervene in relation to drug use to protect innocent
young people and prevent their irresponsible behaviour. Intervention may involve reducing the supply
of drugs and alcohol to young people and providing
rehabilitation services. Prevention, intervention and
protection are portrayed as the role of adults. Only
one article, written by a health professional, notes
that young people must also be included in the
search for responses that address drug use. 47
These findings, although based on a small sample,
highlight the complexity of media images of young
people as problems. The media does not simply
portray young people as deviant but the images do
tend to reinforce the notion of the problematic
nature of 'youth'. The articles indicate that adults
largely talk about young people. Young people are
not asked about their experiences and are not
included in discussions around what strategies
should be developed to address their drug use.
Young people are not given the opportunity to
reframe images of 'youth'.
There is not
enough good
stuff said about
what we are
doing and
where we are
going. The
media need to
give us a
chance to show
them what we
are made of
(Age 21).
In the
Spotlight
participant
6
YOUNG PEOPLE AS HIGH
ACHIEVERS
‘Noble constructions of youth, as much as delinquent constructions, prevent young people from
being seen as 'normal'.’ 48
The media's representation of young people does
include positive stories. Typically these reports relate
to young people's remarkable achievements, awards,
participation on the community etc. 49 The focus of
these reports is often on individual achievement.
Thus while reports about 'problematic youth' tend
to stereotype groups of young people, positive news
stories individualise achievements.
Positive news reports share similar characteristics.
Interestingly, there is a crucial shift in the language
used to describe young people in these stories.
Whereas stories about problematic young people
often use the term 'youth', more neutral terms such
as 'students', 'schoolgirl', '17-year old' are found in
positive media reports. 50 A higher proportion of
reports featuring positive images of young people
tend to appear in local and regional newspapers. 51
Although these 'success stories' are a welcome
change from the negative reports about young people, the stories still tend to present an unrepresentative image of young people. Rather than providing a
balanced picture, these images serve to reinforce the
dichotomy between good and bad young people.
The ACIJ concludes that while the incidence of
sports related topics is better than the total absence
of positive images, the limitations of these images
need to be acknowledged as they still fail to celebrate the diversity of young people. 52
WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THE
REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG
PEOPLE?
Two key factors appear to contribute to the way
young people are reported in the media; the news
value attributed to issues and the absence of young
people's voices.
IS THE STORY NEWSWORTHY?
Understandably the media has to make a judgment
about what is newsworthy. Media outlets make
judgements that dictate what is news, when it
Large
is news and for how long it is news. The goal is commercial
to produce news that the public will consume
media organto ensure an increase in ratings and sales.
isations still
An issue is not necessarily news just because it
exists. It becomes news when journalists and
editors are convinced that the community
wants to know about the issue. Newsworthiness
will also be determined by how much news is
available on any given day.
look for the
fast sales
pitch which
generally
results in
negative profiling. Young
people need
to become
more
proactive
(Community
worker).
Generally news has four key elements:
■ News is new - it's a new story or a new
angle on an old story.
■ News is relevant - the issue must be relevant to a large number of people.
■ News is usually about people - the issues
has a 'human interest' angle.
■ News is usually about conflict - opposing views
make for a more interesting story. 53
Images of problematic young people may dominate
the news because these stories are thought to be
more newsworthy for a number of reasons:
■ The stories are dramatic, shocking, extraordinary and/or controversial.
■ The stories often produce good visual images.
■ The stories reinforce society's view that young
people cause trouble and are fraught with problems.
■ Young people are generally powerless to discredit the stories.
While the media may ultimately determine what
makes the news, news is created by a broader group
of people for example police, politicians, local councillors etc. It is important that young people and
workers with young people create news and possess
the necessary skills to convince the media that this
news is newsworthy. Ensuring more diverse voices
contribute to the development of news will assist to
challenge the stereotypical images of young people.
WHO IS TELLING THE STORY?
Although
young people
are often
underrepresented, they
have the
capacity to
add a lot to
their community and
enrich the
media if
given the
opportunity
(Age 19).
In the
Spotlight
participant
‘Young people, a group without power, political
influence, authority, economic or social status,
have little or no voice in the predominant
media outlets.’ 54
Research suggests that the media presents issues
impacting on young people with little or no attention to the perspective of young people. Terry
Laidler, a former journalist, explains that the media
tells the story from the 'outside' rather than allowing young people to tell their story themselves. 55
This means that young people are excluded from
the naming of social issues and from the process of
developing responses to these issues. 56 In the study
of the media representation of young people and
drug use discussed above, the absence of young people's voices was overwhelming. Media reports relied
on quotes from police, government, health professionals and peak bodies. Only one article referred to
young people's perspectives and this perspective was
provided by an adult researcher.
health and welfare issues. It has been posited that
health professionals are working more proactively
with the media to ensure journalists are better
informed about the drug debate. The change in
reporting is largely attributed to the media consulting a range of people other than the police
and courts.
The way in which health professionals have developed a more constructive working relationship with
the media suggests that a similar change is possible
in the way in which the media works with young
people and conversely the way in which young people work with the media. YACVic believes that it is
important that young people and workers with
young people develop the necessary skills to work
more effectively with the media and this issue is
addressed in Part Four.
Young people may be excluded from engaging in
media debates about issues because they are not
considered authoritative and credible sources of
information. The media have well-established relationships with particular sources, such as the police,
the government or large organisations, to assist in
the development of stories. 57 These institutions
tend to have established media units that are skilled
in dealing with the media whereas young people's
networks and skills are 'still in development'. 58 The
reliance on established sources for information
serves to entrench traditional images of young people as there may be few alternative images
filtering through.
Some young people are able to penetrate the mainstream media. However, research suggests that these
young people represent only a narrow demographic.
A study undertaken of press reports in South
Australia found that 81% of young people who were
quoted were young women, 65% were aged between
18-25, around 50% were connected to a community of government organisations and 39% were either
studying or were graduates. 59 To effectively involve
young people in community debates, young people
from a diverse range of backgrounds, education level
and economic status need to be able to access the
media. We cannot effect full citizenship for young
people or change the way the wider community perceives young people by giving media access to only a
few privileged 'representatives'.
Findings from YACVic's collaborative study with
the Media Studies Program, La Trobe University,
indicates that new voices can penetrate mainstream
media. There has been a noticeable change in the
nature of the reporting around drugs over the last
decade or so. While reports once focused on drug
use as a legal issue the research suggests a shift to a
more balanced approach that places the emphasis on
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
7
3
:
YOUNG PEOPLE AS
CONSUMERS
SWITCHING OFF FROM THE
MAINSTREAM
‘Young people are already ignoring the mainstream
press because they do not like what they see.’ 60
In 1999, Lee Burton conducted an analysis of
young people's viewing, reading and listening
habits. In relation to news media, her study found
that there has been a drop in the viewing of commercial news across all age groups but that the
greatest drop off has been in the 16-24 year-old age
group. 61 Statistics also indicate that the 18-24 age
group are the least likely to watch current affairs
programs. 62 Burton also found that radio talkback
was unpopular with young people as many commercial talkback hosts consistently alienate young people by treating youth issues negatively. 63
Why are young people turning away from mainstream news? Burton's study suggests the following
key reasons:
■ The style of the reporting is too stuffy and
old fashioned.
■ The stories are seen to lack of credibility.
■ Many young people are interested in political
and social issues but the mainstream news is presenting increasingly less political information.
■ Lack of relevance to young people.
■ Negative bias against young people. 64
Typically, the mainstream media do not address the
issues that are of immediate importance to young
people. For example, while the frequency of stories
relating to young people and crime would suggest
that deviance is a key issue for young people, the
reality is that most young people are not involved in
criminal activity and other issues are probably of
greater importance. A study of media reports in
Western Australia indicated that nine out of the top
ten issues relating to young people were associated
with crime. Yet 96.3% of young people in Western
Australia never go to court. In contrast, although
the youth unemployment rate hovered around 30%
at the time of the study, only 4.5% of articles
addressed youth unemployment issues. It is not surprising that young people may be seeking their news
from alternative sources.
Encourages a more active discourse of issues.
Provides a forum for minority groups
and voices.
■ Plays an educative role by helping people to
understand the world around them.
■ Provides more in depth coverage and context to
news by explaining why things are happening.
■ Plays an activist role by encouraging people to
affect change.
■ Welcomes input from all members of the
community.
■ Does not use such rigid and prescriptive formats.
■ Promotes more community based stories. 68
Considering the young people in Burton's study
indicated that they wanted the media to provide
space for different interpretations of the information
presented, it is not surprising that alternative forms
of media may be more attractive to young people.
Importantly, alternative media provides a space for
young people to air their perspectives.
■
■
Whilst alternative media is invaluable for providing
a forum for young people and giving young people
experience in using the media to their advantage, it
may not be as effective in influencing society's views
about young people as is the mainstream media.
There is also a danger of 'ghettoising' youth issues
in alternative media which would mean youth issues
are pushed further to the margins. It is important
that young people access mainstream media to
ensure that the stereotypes perpetuated here are
effectively challenged. Thus, young people need to
have the opportunity to access a range of media as
both consumers and producers.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
‘Rather than trying to change the mainstream they
are simply bypassing it altogether (and) setting up
their own media.’ 66
It is thought that the frustration experienced by
young people in attempting to influence the mainstream media has resulted in young people trying to
reach a larger audience through other means, such
as community radio stations, street press and ezines. 67 Why is alternative media such an attractive
option for young people? A study of independent
and alternative press in Australia found that
alternative press:
8
Young people
have a lot of say
in and control
over independent media
sources but not
much access to
the conventional
media outlets
(Age 19).
In the Spotlight
participant
4
:
YOUNG PEOPLE AS
PRODUCERS
PARTICIPATING IN THE MEDIA
Generally
young people
are portrayed
negatively. If
the opposite
is to occur
young people
need to
become more
involved in
the media
and the content provided.
(Community
worker).
‘We must constantly challenge ourselves, the
young people we work with and society in general
to seek to create and support opportunities for a
diverse range of young people to have their voices
heard.’ 69
The media can be used as a powerful tool for
change. Considering its ability to influence community attitudes and the development of policy, it is
important that young people are given opportunities to harness this power by playing a more substantive role in the media.
While research suggests that young people's voices
are largely absent in the media, our work with
young people suggested that young people are actually actively involved in media activities throughout
Victoria so we undertook some research to gain a
better understanding of how young people are participating in media outlets. We contacted all metropolitan, suburban, regional and rural newspapers
and radio stations in Victoria via e-mail to determine whether young people were involved in these
media outlets. The response rate was approximately
15%. Although the findings do not represent all
opportunities that exist for young people in Victoria
the information does provide a valuable snapshot of
how young people are currently participating in the
media across Victoria.
WHERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN MEDIA ACTIVITIES
RADIO
SYN FM 90.7
Student Youth Network is a community radio station produced predominantly by
young people and in partnership with RMIT University. Encourages involvement
of students and other young people, covers current affairs and airs locally
produced/unsigned music.
JOY FM 94.9
Community gay/lesbian/bisexual targeted radio station with full broadcasting
rights. Run Generation Next, a youth focused program 7pm-9pm Sunday. Recently
received a $100,000 grant to train young people in all aspects of JOY, on air and
off. JOY is intending to train young people in media skills and they will then be
able to train other young people.
TRIPLE J FM 107.5
Youth targeted community radio station run by ABC. Focuses on youth issues and
has young people on staff. Work experience available.
3CR COMMUNITY
RADIO
Community radio established to provide voice for minority groups. Youth
produced programs include Girlz Own, Monday Hometime; Yarnin Sista Girls;
Vietnamese Youth; Rhymes and Resistance; Johnny Mac's Rap Attack; Wayward
Girls; Wicked women; Tuesday breakfast. Young people involved in all aspects
of programming.
3RRR FM
Covers metropolitan and outer suburban Melbourne. Over 120 Volunteer
broadcasters of all ages, youngest currently 17. RMIT Media and Communications
students produce and present weekly two hour program called Room with a View
and RMIT journalism students produce and present five minute news bulletins
Monday to Friday during each semester. Aspiring broadcasters are encouraged to
submit program proposals and demo tapes to the programming group for
consideration. Employ a number of young people on their full time and part time staff.
VOICE FM - 3BBB 99.9
Target audience: 18-25 yr olds. Cover an estimated 83% of the Ballarat and district
audience. Are involved with work-for-the-dole and provide opportunities for young
people to participate in this way.
3GG SEA FM
Community station covers Gippsland, the Latrobe Valley and South East
Melbourne. Provides work experience for students from local high schools,
Swinburne and Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Have a young break
fast announcer and Promotions Manager. Run Fat 30 - youth oriented music program.
3RPPRADIO PORT
PHILLIP
Covers metropolitan, outer suburban Melbourne, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula,
South Eastern Victoria, Phillip Island and Inverloch. RPP service area is from
Chelsea to Portsea and cross to Western Port Bay, Hastings area. Encourage young
people's involvement in on-air producing and presenting of their own programs,
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
9
production, outside broadcasters and technical department. RPP also run a work
for the dole program, which involves training 12 young people for six months in all
aspects of radio including the internet and basic administration skills. Most of these
people generally stay on at the station to present programs. RPP are also involved
with the Frankston youth resource centre and help them out with recording
aspiring young artists and the editing and cutting of demo cd's for them. Over 40
young people who started at 3RPP have found employment in the media in areas
such as commercial radio, television, station managers, scriptwriters, production,
photographers, journalists etc.
TELEVISION
SCHOOL TORQUE
National initiative of SBS TV. Half hour youth variety program showcasing talents,
culture and viewpoints of young people. Young people can contribute stories,
produce entire segments or act as crews on location. Production overseen by adults
when young people on set but School Torque also invites contributors to send in
pre-recorded segments. Encourages all levels of participation.
CHANNEL 31
Community television station broadcasting throughout metropolitan and outer
suburban Melbourne. Youth focused shows: Champagne comedy. Youth produced
shows (with adult mentorship): Raucous (in partnership with RMITV), Dawn's
Crack, Access News.
NEWSPAPER
YOUTH FORUM
Youth letters page featuring in the Herald Sun every Monday. Features letters up to
150-words and a Sound-Off column for 50-word observations on life and issues.
Contribution level only.
THE VIBE
Student page run every Thursday in the Ballarat Courier. Mostly written by
students between 14 and 20, production, layout and editing overseen by adult
editors. Encourages contributions from or about young people. The Vibe has its
own office and equipment that can be utilized by Vibe members. Courier
extensively advertises The Vibe and how young people can get involved.
THE PAPER
Free independent news and opinion 16-page publication published monthly and
produced entirely by volunteers. Established to give space to minority group issues
that are under or misrepresented by the mass media. Encourages contributions and
volunteer involvement from all ages and backgrounds.
HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Distributed throughout the southwest of the Western District with a primary
circulation of 70km radius from Hamilton. Runs a Youth Page every Thursday.
Young people contribute to Youth Page by sending in their own stories, interviews,
art works, opinions etc. employs cadet journalists. One of the editorial students is
responsible for the Youth Page.
CASTERTON NEWS
Weekly edition with circulation of approx 1500. Employ two full time staff. For
young people they run a fortnightly Schools Page, which features articles and
photos from Casterton High School, primary schools and kindergarten. Also have
regular updates with the Peoples Lounge, a place for town kids to meet, play pool
etc. Young people are often given the opportunity to voice their opinions within
these updates. Once a year two representatives from the high school compile a
feature on their school fair.
LOOP
A four-page supplement that appears in the Bendigo Advertiser each Tuesday.
LOOP is a project in partnership with the Lead On Inc. group and was established
to fill the gap of youth involvement in the media. Written and designed by young
people - articles, reporting, layout and masthead etc. Photographs taken and
provided by young people. Young people can get involved by approaching LOOP
or Lead On Inc, or by submitting work via Loop website. LOOP comprises of
young people 14-early 20s who compile produce and edit the four-page
supplement. LOOP includes an editorial team who decides on the content,
design/layout team and subbing.
RIVERINE HERALD
Based in Echuca-Moama. Involves young people in three ways: Sport: cover
sporting achievements including a Junior and Senior Sportstar awards nightYouth
Focus: Two pages every Wednesday devoted to youth achievements, often school
based but
it could be cultural or other community activity. Targeted at primary and secondary
school
10
children. Four page youth supplement: As part of the LEAD ON group, produce LOOP
(See previous entry). Young people on staff.
THE GREAT SOUTHERN
STAR
Distributed throughout Leongatha and Southern Gippsland. Has Starscene, youth news
and views page every Tuesday. Local young people are invited to contribute stories on
issues of local relevance. Other stories written by adults target youth affairs.
MAGAZINE
VOICEWORKS
National quarterly magazine dedicated to publishing work of artists and writers under 25.
Features short stories, poetry, comics, graphic and original art, reviews, interviews and
articles. Entirely written, edited and produced by young people.
LOWDOWN MAGAZINE
CARCLEW YOUTH
ARTS CENTRE
Covers performing arts for and by young people around Australia. Have a number of
young emerging performance artists as contributing writers and when covering work by
young people their views on the process and product are key features of the articles.
industry magazine that is distributed to over 500 schools, most major arts venues, arts
organisations, funding bodies, theatre companies, universities, youth arts organisations in
over 70 countries and practitioners.
QM MAGAZINE
Supported by the City of Greater Dandenong, QM magazine is a magazine produced for
young people by young people. Young people can contribute any range of previously
unpublished literature, opinion articles, poetry, artwork etc. Targeted at secondary school
level, also includes lots of useful tips for budding journalists to help them get published.
THE PURPLE BUS
Magazine created by same sex attracted young people for same sex attracted young people
in the eastern region. Exists to promote awareness of issues concerning gay, lesbian and
bisexual young people. Distributed to youth service providers, Universities, some secondary
schools upon request. Supported by Knox Same Sex Attracted Support Group and Vic
Health. The production of the magazine is a collaborative effort from a range of young volunteers.
COMPETITIONS
ABC HEYWIRE
Targeted at regional and rural youth, invites and judges contributions on rural/regional life.
Winners published on ABC radio/online.
BeSeen.BeHeard
National youth media competition targeted at young people aged 15+. Contestants can
contribute to categories of human interest, journalism, lifestyle, photography, and current
affairs. Winners get cash incentives and work experience at Channel 9.
TRAINING
HYPERJOURNALISM
PROJECT
Established and run by the City of Yarra. 6-8 week training program for young people
aged 15-17. Young professional journalists and photographers are involved in giving
participants and introduction to their professions. Participants become National Youth
Week reporters writing stories in their local media.
SCHOOL TORQUE
Video production workshops run countrywide. Train in use of equipment, range of
techniques and principles of production. Media production and contribution tips also
available on School Torque website.
MEDIA MINDS
Privately run and owned training courses for primary and secondary students in all aspects
of the media i.e. the practical elements such as technologies, video and television
production, and elements such as how the media works, using and influencing the media.
OTHER
NATIONAL STUDENT
MEDIA CONFERENCE
Four-day skills development and training, networking and strategizing, national
conference that brings together editors of over 80 student newspapers, student
television and radio producers and student film and video makers.
VIBEWIRE
Online community that includes film, music, art reviews and discussion forums
where young people can raise issues or give feedback to the site.
NEMBC
National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcaster's council- peak organization repre
senting ethnic community radio stations. Operates a website with extensive
information on how to involve and attract young people in ethnic radio. Contains
tips for broadcasters and young people wanting to get involved. Practical info that
highlights the benefits of youth participation. http://www.nembc.org.au
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
11
INDYMEDIA
Melbourne Independent Media Centre is a collective of independent media groups
and producers. Invites all levels of contribution to its newswire (news items,
opinion, interviews etc) and participation. No youth specific program but open to all ages.
EXPRESS MEDIA
Provides training, resources, skills development and opportunities for young writers,
artists and media participants to access the media and participate in a variety of
media spaces. Include spoken word, photography, website design, radio
presentation, journalism and creative writing workshops, exhibitions and artistic
projects.
NATIONAL YOUNG
WRITERS FESTIVAL
Gathering of young writers and media makers, incorporates for example, traditional
literature, self-publishing, comics, digital media, scriptwriting, magazines,
journalism, comedy and academia.
HOW ARE YOUNG PEOPLE
PARTICIPATING?
If we want
the media to
get the whole
story then we
need to be
telling them
the whole
story and not
just waiting
for a disaster
to bring them
to us
(Age 22).
In the
Spotlight
participant
Young people are primarily participating in the
Victorian media through:
■ Work experience
■ Training
■ Contribution
■ Production
■ Encouragement
WORK EXPERIENCE
A number of media outlets offer work experience to
young people as a way of providing them with
opportunities to support future career aspirations.
The purpose of work experience is usually to impart
a general understanding of the industry to the young
person and subsequently the participant's role is
generally as an observer. However, there are occasions for young people to be more actively engaged
in projects such as web design, marketing assistance,
youth oriented supplements etc that give them
hands-on experience in a broad range of media related industries.
TRAINING
A range of outlets offer media related training to
young people. The scope of training offered ranges
from practical skills training (video and television
production, equipment use and editing), to media
theory training that involves teaching students how
to influence and penetrate the media. Media training equips young people with the necessary tools to
assist them to produce media.
YOUNG PRODUCERS
SIMON: SYN FM
My first direct experience with community radio
was in my last year of school. One day I was flicking
through my FM dial and landed on 94.9. I heard a
song by 'Strung Out', a Californian pop punk bank
and one of my favourite at the time. I was amazed
that anyone would actually play this sort of music
on radio. I rang up instantly and found out what
the station was, SRA University Radio, and what it
was about, students playing the stuff they want to
hear on air. From that conversation I was determined to get involved with it when I started Uni.
The next year, when I did start Uni, the first thing I
did was go to SRA. I joined straight away, got
trained and expressed my interest in doing a show.
Before I was even 18, I had my first show on SRA,
12
CONTRIBUTION
The majority of media outlets that specifically
encourage contributions from young people are typically community or alternative media outlets. Many
outlets, including mainstream outlets, indicate that
young people are welcome to contribute. However,
often adults judge the merit of their contributions
before it is published or aired. This may restrict
access for young people without well-developed
communication skills.
Many regional/rural newspapers facilitate the participation of regional/rural young people via 'youth
pages' some of which are run by and for young
people.
PRODUCTION
There are opportunities for young people to
produce their own media but these are largely
in the community and alternative media sectors. Student media is also an example of this.
Adults are also often on hand to provide advice
and support and this highlights the benefits
that can be derived from partnerships between
young people and adults.
ENCOURAGEMENT
Young people
need to act
and do something, not
just complain
about it. Put
their words
into action
(Age 19).
In the
Spotlight
participant
This primarily involves competitions encouraging and rewarding youth participation in the
media and youth media awards. These initiatives facilitate participation and recognise the importance of having young people contribute to public
debate.
"I Pity the Fool", a 80s trash music show. With my
friend, Josh, we did the show for ten test broadcasts
over three years. I liked the idea that I could pick up
cheesy records for 50 cents at an op shop and be
allowed to play them on Inner Melbourne airwaves
at various times throughout the year.
After a number of years my interests went from
being a presenter to behind the scenes. It was a pretty important time in community radio. The
Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), the people who administer the airwaves, were in the process
of finally deciding which of the test broadcasters
(stations that shared radio frequencies with each
other like time share), SRA being one of them,
would be awarded full time licences. In 2000 and in
preparation for the ABA application process, SRA
merged with 3TD, a secondary broadcaster based at
Thornbury Darebin College, to become SYN FM,
the Student Youth Network.
I initially was co-Production Manager, making promos and IDs for the station, with current SYN
Station Manager, Jo Curtin. After this I became
Station Manager and President of SYN in 2001. It
was a big year. We had to write the ABA licence
application and attend the hearings, whilst still trying to conduct test broadcasts! However it all paid
off, on December 19 2001 we were awarded the full
time Melbourne wide licence - 90.7 FM - and SYN
has never looked back.
I now work as a Partnership Project Manager for
SYN FM and the Inner Northern Local Learning
and Employment Network (INLLEN), an organisation that aims to provide pathways, in education
and training, for young people. I am based in the
Northern suburbs working with over 30 educational
providers. I go out to schools and work with teachers and students to get them involved in community
radio and help tie this experience back to the student's curriculum.
It is a very rewarding job. I work with Indigenous
communities, newly arrived migrants, kids in prison
and youth at risk of dropping out of school. I love
to see the look on young people's faces when they
get the chance to present on air or learn how to use
audio editing software to create their own documentaries. The great thing about my job is that SYN
FM is the perfect place for the young people I work
with to express their views and music. We have a
full time Melbourne wide community radio licence
dedicated to the youth of this State. It is the first
time something like this has been created in
Australia, if not the world. It is exciting times and it
has just got started!
AGNES: QM MAGAZINE
Established in 1997, QM Magazine is a magazine
written and produced by young people for young
people. It is run through the City of Greater
Dandenong's Youth Activities Service. The magazine seeks to provide opportunities for self expression, skill development, teamwork, and an outlet for
budding journalists, photographers, layout master
minds, not to mention a great context just to hang
out and meet other people.
Producing an average of two magazines a year, QM
Magazine involves young people on two main levels;
as external, occasional contributors and as regular
members of the magazine's Editorial Committee,
responsible for the editing and laying out of the
magazine, the magazine's distribution and publicity
as well as its content.
Recently, the existing QM crew and a few fresh faces
went away on the Annual QM Retreat. The Retreat
provided a time for thinking about the role of QM
magazine, what the young people saw as their role
in the mass media and what they most got out of
being a part of QM Magazine. One member said:
'I have experienced writing and editing, layout and
graphic design and publicity and distribution. I have
experienced the highs of a finished article, the lows
of a missed deadlines and the frustration and anger
at Quark [layout software] playing its malicious,
malevolent games with us…Overall I have experienced 3 complaints letters, 10 movie reviews, 6
missed deadlines, 1 movie, 3 songs sung about QM,
5 spilt drinks, 4 mail outs, 700 cinnamon doughnuts, 78,918,236 tangents during meetings and 3
cases where I've accidentally turned up to a can-
celled meeting. And I wouldn't take back a single
one.' Kyle.
Members spoke about their initial drive to join centering around certain skills and opportunities for self
expression, such as one member who described her
reason for initially coming on board as 'a chance to
express myself, demonstrate my talents and gain
experience in being involved in the design of the
magazine' (Evendrani) and another member stating
that he 'originally joined for the art only - I only
wanted to create artwork for the mag but got a little
more involved' (Daryl).
QM has helped many members go one achieve in
the media world. For esample, Evendrani is on her
way to London for a design job placement.
QM attracts a diverse range of young people: 'one
thing that never ceases to amaze me about QM is
the extraordinary people it attracts. People from all
sketches of life, all cultures, all races and many,
many different personalities' (Kyle). This diversity
reflects the magazine's content. Aiming to be truly
inclusive in its substance, viewpoints and imagery,
QM attempts to bridge the huge gap existing
between mainstream, politicised mass media and
young people, their views, values, thoughts, hopes,
fears and aspirations.
Through communication and self expression, young
people's views and values are challenged and developed. Bernadette comments 'I learned very quickly
that QM wasn't about the number of members who
attended Wednesday meetings, not even if we did
magazine work at every meeting. It dawned on me
that QM was one of those real opportunities that
allowed for growth in many different areas.'
Young people have also been given the opportunity
to learn skills of the media trade. Melissa, a student
on placement with the City of Greater Dandenong
comments 'QM provides a great opportunity for
expression, while in the meantime giving young
people the essential professional experience they will
need to gain good jobs in the future. It is a social
process which also helps to improve interpersonal
communication skills and group management skills'.
Sharna commented that 'I am going to stay at QM
because I would like to write an article on a topic,
learn how to edit it and then put it in the magazine,
which I think is great for young people.'
One new member noted she 'learnt group skills and
how to work together, met new people from a completely different age group and learnt not to judge
others when I didn't know them yet' (Stephanie).
Mainstream media's lack of acknowledgment of
young people's views and a lack of opportunity for
young people to be heard was highlighted by Liza,
who attended the Retreat in a support worker role;
'This interest [in QM magazine] also stems from the
belief that mainstream media provides little opportunity for young people to have a voice or to be portrayed,
communicated to in a fair, balanced and relevant way.
I feel that media outlets are unlikely to change their
ways so young people need to create their own opportunities to present their issues and themselves in a way
they feel is 'real'" - Liza
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Bernadette, Daryl, Evendrani, Kyle, Liza, Melissa, Melissa G,
Sharna, Stephanie
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
13
EMMA: JOY FM
I've worked at JOY Melbourne for the past four
years in a variety of roles. JOY is a community gay
and lesbian radio station who were operating on a
temporary broadcasting licence until 2002 when we
were awarded our full time broadcasting licence.
I got involved in JOY because I was doing some
work for an organization called Pride March
Victoria and had been in to JOY to do a few interviews. One of the programs I had been on a few
times called Generation Next (a youth issues programs) asked me to become one of their presenters.
I had never had a strong interest in radio but was
interested in contributing to the Gay and Lesbian
community particularly in regards to youth services.
I think radio works best when the people presenting
it have strong views on the subject matter they are
presenting whether that is music, political issues,
social issues, the arts or community based stuff.
I presented Generation Next for three years, and
produced it for two but I slowly began to realise
that Generation Next was the only dedicated youth
programming on JOY. This became evident to the
station manager as well and in 2002 we applied for
funding from the Foundation for Young
Australians. This was an initiative to get more
young people involved in JOY and to get a stronger
youth listenership. I now chair the youth steering
committee, who are in charge of putting the grant's
objectives into action and I am on JOY's committee
of management.
It is often difficult, as a young person, to get your
opinions heard in an organisation, which is generally run by people who are over 45. People treat you
differently and with caution. However I find now
that I have proven my reliability and positive influence on the governance structures at JOY people are
slowly starting to change their attitude and with the
funding from FYA JOY is now starting to attract a
lot more young people which provides a better
standing point for youth issues within the station
(safety and influence in numbers).
My experiences of community radio have been very
rewarding. I remember when I first started presenting Generation Next we received a letter from an
anonymous young person who had found the
strength and courage to come out to their parents
after hearing a coming out segment on our show.
This, to me, demonstrates the profound impact
community media can have on people's lives, especially in the gay and lesbian community where
young people are often ostracised and berated
because of their sexuality.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
GREATER INVOLVEMENT
A key aim of YACVic's In the Spotlight forum was
to provide young people and workers with some
skills to enable them to work more effectively with
the media and to become more proactive in creating
rather than simply reacting to media stories. The following section details some hints about communicating messages. 70
WHY WORK WITH THE MEDIA?
The media provides a forum to spread messages to
large audiences quickly and effectively. Young people
and workers with young people can use the media
to:
■ Build public awareness and understanding of
youth issues.
■ Generate public dialogue and debate.
■ Influence industry, policy and decision makers.
■ Maintain credibility and create a positive image
for youth affairs.
■ Keep stakeholders informed.
■ Assist damage control in adverse situations.
■ Increase funding from donors, government,
industry.
UNDERSTAND THE MEDIA
Before seeking media coverage, it's important to
understand the way in which the media works.
Media are NOT all the same. For example there are:
■ Newspapers - national, metropolitan, regional,
suburban, local etc.
■ Other publications - magazines, journals,
newsletters, street press etc.
■ Radio - national, statewide, regional, metropolitan, community and ethnic stations etc.
■ Television - national, statewide, current affairs,
chat shows.
These forms of media often have different audience
and different approaches to stories.
It is also important to understand:
■ The people in the media, their roles/ pressures/
constraints (eg editors, sub editors, journalists).
■ Deadlines, timing, embargoes and exclusives.
■ What the media wants from you…
■ a good story - media attractive information.
■ a qualified, media-talented spokesperson.
Understanding these issues will help to build media
relations over the long-term.
PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE NEWS
News can be created by proactively informing the
media about what is happening in the community.
Alternatively, the media may seek responses to current news issues.
PROACTIVE COMMUNICATION - TAKING
NEWS TO THE MEDIA
■ Media releases - A good media release is essential.
■ The who, what, where, when, why and
how need to be clearly stated.
■ Found out media deadlines and time the
release appropriately.
14
■ Write a catchy headline that sums up
the issue.
■ Put the most important details in the
first paragraph.
■ Use direct quotes.
■ Ideally, keep the media release to one page.
■ Clearly state the name and title of anyone
mentioned (eg spokespersons).
■ Ensure the information is correct - check
all facts.
■ Ensure the details of contact people
are listed.
■ Media Launch - inviting the media to the
launch of a program, event, publication etc.
■ Prepare a press release that goes out several
days before the event.
■ Develop a media kit that provides back
ground to the program etc.
■ Organise spokespeople.
REACTIVE COMMUNICATION RESPONDING TO MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
■ You can say 'no thanks'.
■ Ask a lot of questions around the topic
and context.
■ Ask to see relevant information that the journalist may be basing the story on.
■ Buy time to prepare - tell them you will call
them back with a comment shortly and develop a
clear idea what your message will be.
to a minimum (no more than three) and to keep
them simple. Key messages can be repeated over and
over. Overall, have a clear agenda and stick to it.
A GOOD SPOKESPERSON
Dealing with the media is easier if one person is
responsible for media work, that is commenting on
issues and developing networks with the media.
Spokespeople are the public face of an organisation
or issues and will be the people quoted in media
reports. Spokespeople should be:
■ Credible as they are seen the expert on
this subject
■ Know about the organisation/issues that
they represent.
■ Easily contacted by the media.
■ Confident in dealing with the media and
speaking publicly.
It is important that spokespeople are trained in dealing with the media.
MEDIA INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE
Journalists will often want to follow up information
in a formal interview. Interviews provide another
chance to deliver key messages. It's important to:
■ Predict and prepare for tough/controversial
questions.
■ Have a clear agenda/ stick to your key messages.
■ Use simple language, analogies and actual examples.
A GOOD NEWS STORY
FOLLOW-UP
Before contacting the media, it's important to determine whether the issue will be considered newsworthy. Think about the following issues:
■ Is it something new or involves a new
slant/spin?
■ Does it involve the human interest element?
■ The nature and scale of the problem (eg number
of people).
■ Important or unusual events, high profile people
or places.
■ Topicality - does it relate to a current issue?
■ Relevance - does it matter to the average person?
■ Broad or local impact (City or Regional)?
■ Social, political, economic impacts?
If a story makes it into the news, the issue is now in
the public domain and may attract further responses. Before seeking media attention it's important to:
■ Anticipate the response of industry, government,
the community and your peers - will your comments have a negative or positive impact?
■ Consider what ongoing effect publicity will have
on your cause.
■ Anticipate subsequent media attention (snowballing) and be available for comment.
YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Deciding which media to contact will depend on
what your audience is (eg national, statewide, local
etc). Before contacting the media its important to:
■ Identify your target audience.
■ Determine what is their current level of
understanding of the issue is.
KEY MESSAGES
To ensure that your message comes across clearly it's
important to determine what your key message is
for the target audience. Key messages are:
■ What you want the public to remember (what
you MUST say followed by what you would LIKE
to say).
■ Short punchy statements or 'grabs'.
■ Your most important information.
It's important to keep the number of key messages
OTHER RESOURCES
This is just a snapshot of some of the key issues to
be aware of when dealing with the media. Other
useful resources include:
Making the News: The Media action manual for
young people and Youth Organisations
Department of Families, Youth and Community
Care, Queensland (Available in YACVic Resource
Centre).
What's the story?
Youth Action and Policy Association (Available in
YACVic Resource Centre).
Generating the News
Department of Employment and Training,
Queensland (Available in YACVic Resource
Centre).
Young People into Multicultural Radio see
www.nembc.org.au
Community Advocacy Unit, RMIT see
advocacy.tce.rmit.edu.au
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
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APPENDIX ONE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: YOUNG
PEOPLE AND THE MEDIA FORUM
PROGRAM
10.00 OFFICIAL OPENING
YACVic Chairperson, Rowena Allen
Minister for Youth Affairs, The Hon. Jacinta Allan, MP
City of Port Phillip Mayor, Darren Ray
10:20 HOW DOES A MEDIA STORY
DEVELOP?
An interactive discussion
Facilitated by Chris Keogh
With ■ Michael Gawenda, Editor, The Age
■ Campbell Fuller, Deputy Editor, MX ■ Alison
Dean, Journalist, Melbourne Times ■ Andrew Van
Smeerdijk, Sub Editor, Ballarat Courier ■ Belinda
Hawkins, ABC's Australian Story and Melbourne
Press Club ■ David Murray, Chief Executive
Officer, Youth Substance Abuse Service ■ Janet
Jukes, Executive Officer, YACVic ■ Jo Curtin,
Station Manager, SYN FM ■ Lee Burton, Australian
Children's Television Foundation ■ Lise Dalla
Torre, Young Media Spokesperson, YACVic ■
Nicola Quin, Department of Human Services ■
Russell Gould, Youth Reporter, Herald Sun
12:20 LUNCH
1:00 CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
(see next section for workshop descriptions)
2:00 AFTERNOON TEA
WORKSHOPS - 1PM
Workshop:Managing the Media
Presenter: Suzan Morey
Susan Morley has rare mix of experience as both a
Journalist and a Community Development worker.
In this workshop, targeted at workers with young
people, she will look at: What the media regards as
'newsworthy' and why; Designing community
awareness/health promotion campaigns that the
media will cover; Writing media releases;
Interviewing techniques; The internal politics of the
newsroom. Susan is currently employed as the Major
Projects Manager for the Australian Rural Centre for
Addictive Behaviours (ARCAB) and has been instrumental in a variety of projects including Victoria's
largest multi-municipality Local Alcohol and Drug
Action Plan and developing Australia's first National
Awards for Work in Addictive Behaviours.
Workshop:Streetwize
Presenters: Jo Taylor, Streetwize project manager and
Jo Waite, Streetwize consultant comic artist
Streetwize Communications is a leading national
not-for-profit organisation specialising in communicating social, health and legal issues to young people
and hard to reach groups across Australia. For more
than 18 years, Streetwize has produced accessible,
entertaining and relevant comics and resources on
issues such as law, health, employment, violence and
discrimination. Thousands of people access
Streetwize resources through an established distribution network of youth, community, educational and
Indigenous organisations. This workshop will examine young people's views of how they are portrayed
in the media. Workshop participants will develop
storylines and comic artwork to express their stories
around this issue and develop images of how they
would like to be portrayed.
Workshop:Communicating your message
Presenters: Narelle Curtis and Kate Longton
2:30 CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
(see next section for workshop descriptions)
3:30 CLOSE
Narelle manages media relations, donor and government relations, corporate communications and
events for the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
(MCRI) at the Royal Children's Hospital in
Melbourne, and she provides regular media training
seminars for staff. Many of the media stories she has
worked on relate to adolescent health/ youth affairs.
Kate is Communications Coordinator at MCRI
coordinating media relations, special events and corporate communications. This workshop will include:
Understanding the media; What makes a good
story?; Being proactive - seeking opportunities,
responding to current events; Approaching the
media - media releases, fact sheets, follow up; The
differences between radio, print and television;
Interview techniques - research and preparation, key
messages, speaking clearly and succinctly, body language etc.
Workshop:Indymedia
16
Presenter: Laughlan Simpson
people's issues heard!
Melbourne Indymedia is a collective of independent
media groups and producers offering grassroots,
non-corporate coverage of struggles, actions and celebrations. This workshop will look at:
■ Participatory media, the Internet and Indymedia
- how everyone can be a journalist;
■ Using the Internet effectively, how to avoid
being stuck behind 'portals' such as Yahoo,
Hotmail and Triple J;
■ The corporatisation of media, examining the
notion of 'copyright' and 'open source' using the
example of the mp3 phenomenon.
Workshop:Community Radio
Presenters: Agnes Lichtor GLB Taskforce VisyCares
Centre, Dandenong
Presenters: Simon Goodrich, Zan Rowe and
Michelle Spry
Presenter: Katie Hearn, Youth Services Project
Officer, Darwin City Council
Three people involved in community radio talk
about their experiences within the media sector.
Simon Goodrich has been involved with SYN-FM
for five years, holding the positions of Production
Manager, Station Manager and President. Zan Rowe
presents ‘Transit Lounge’ on RRR on Monday afternoons and has recently started a position as Head
Talks Producer at that station. Michelle Spry works
at 3OCR in Colac and has had experience with
community radio in regional Victoria. Coming from
different perspectives, all young and all keen to talk,
the three presenters hope to give some insight into
their positions, as well as open the discussion up to
the floor, to help give participants insight in how to
get more involved in community media.
The session will outline the development of a youth
driven newspaper, ‘GRIND’ developed by Darwin
City Council. Running for over two years, the paper
has grown to a 20 page publication which is produced by a team of 35 young people aged between
12 and 20 years. This has involved pooling
resources, a strong advocacy role and the development of partnerships. The session will explore the
trials, tribulations and celebrations of nurturing
youth participation through print media and will
challenge you to explore your capacity as a worker to
provide a vehicle for youth expression.
Workshop:When the message is wrong - making a
media complaint
Presenter: Pat O'Donnell, MEAA
Secretary Pat O'Donnell of the Media,
Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and a former journalist, will present a session on how you can effectively use the complaints procedures available to
challenge errors in the media. Whether your complaint is against an individual journalist or the publication or program you have some avenues to seek to
have the error corrected or your point of view
expressed.
Workshop:Intro to Freelance Journalism
Presenter: James Norman, freelance writer
James Norman has been a freelance journalist for
almost 10 years, writing for publications such as the
Age, HQ and Juice. Participants will be taken
through the basics of media engagement and freelance journalism in this hands on and participatory
workshop. As well as relaying personal experience of
working with the mainstream media, James will also
set a number of tasks to be workshopped throughout each session. Key questions such as 'What is a
pitch?', 'How do I approach editors?', and 'Where
do I start?' will be addressed. Participants will be
asked to produce article concepts, perform preliminary writing tasks and identify what makes stories
newsworthy. Other issues to be touched on will
include media bias, article structure and building
confidence as a writer.
Workshop:QM Magazine: A way to get young
A snapshot look into how QM magazine works,
how it got started, and most importantly, what
keeps it going. Presenters share their experiences of
working on the magazine, as well as what's needed
to become a great journo. The team will also look at
what's involved in starting up a magazine and sharing some handy tips. Presentation and discussionbased, come along and find out what it's all about!
Workshop:Young People should be heard and not
seen... yeah right. Facilitating a youth voice in
print media
WORKSHOPS - 2:30PM
Workshop:Managing the Media
Presenter: Suzan Morey
Repeat from the first session.
Workshop:Streetwize
Presenters: Jo Taylor, Streetwize project manager and
Jo Waite Streetwize consultant comic artist
Repeat from the first session.
Workshop:Communicating your message
Presenters: Narelle Curtis and Kate Longton
Repeat from the first session.
Workshop:How to run a festival and get some publicity for it too
Presenter: Marcus Westbury, Artistic Director, Next
Wave Festival
Veteran of media arts events such as 'noise', 'This Is
Not Art' and the 'Newcastle Young Writers Festival',
Marcus Westbury will take participants step by step
through the process of festival/event management
with a focus on publicity and media.
Workshop:Get involved! Get heard!
Youth Broadcasting and Ethnic Community Radio
Presenters: Tamara Salinas; Jiselle Hanna; Indira
Narayan
The National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters
Council is proud to present a workshop on youth
involvement in ethnic community broadcasting.
Youth broadcaster Tamara Salinas (Spanish Show 3CR) will join Jiselle Hanna in discussion around
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
17
the following issues concerning youth involvement in
ethnic community radio: What is ethnic and multicultural community broadcasting? Where do young people
fit in in the context of non-English language broadcasting?; How to get involved? Why get involved?; Racism
and language barriers; Training for young ethnic broadcasters; Funding for ethnic youth programs; Planning
your show (finding an audience, planning segments,
organising guests & music).
NEMBC Emerging and Refugee Communities Project
Officer, Indira Narayan, will also be talking about the
importance of people from newly arrived and refugee
communities getting access to the airwaves, especially
young people and women.
Workshop:The Zine Scene
Presenter: Richard Watts, zinester and Artistic Director
of youth arts organisation Express Media
Not everyone has access to newspapers and magazines
to get their views across to the pubic, but there's nothing to stop you from releasing a publication of your
own. This introductory workshop will explore everything you need to know about the world of zines, from
content and printing through to distribution and publicity.
Workshop:Intro to Freelance Journalism
Presenter: James Norman, Freelance Writer
Repeat from the first session.
Workshop:The influential voice of a culture far from
forgotten: 3KND 1503 AM, Melbourne's First
Indigenous Radio Station
Presenter: Vicki Armstrong and Kate Munro
3 Kool 'n' Deadly, Melbourne's first Indigenous owned
and managed AM radio station secured a full time radio
licence in December 2001 as a result of four very successful test broadcasts over three years. 3KND, a valuable project of the South Eastern Indigenous Media
Association is a community station catering to the
needs of a broad Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
audience throughout Victoria. Additionally 3KND also
have a significant non-Indigenous listener audience and
support base. 3KND provide a voice for the Indigenous
community of Melbourne, along with inspirational
services and opportunities to local Indigenous groups
from an Indigenous perspective.
Workshop:What is Community TV
Presenter: Campbell Manderson, Executive Producer,
Ska TV
Campbell, former producer of programs such as Access
News and OPEN Shorts, is a community elected representative to Channel 31's committee of Management,
and has been involved with many community media
training courses at OPENChannel.This workshop will
give participants an insight into what community television is, what Channel 31 does, and how the programs
are produced by different community groups as well as
talking about alternative news and culture jamming.The
workshop will also work as a forum for what young
people want to see on their TV and how it would be
possible to produce content for broadcast.
18
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:
ENDNOTES
1. Kuehn, R. & Yarlett, K. (2001) Media presentations
of youth participation, Paper presented at the Second
National Youth Development Conference 'Our future
now, Empowering people through youth development',
AusYouth, 22-23 March, South Australia.
2. Bessant, J., Sercombe, H. & Watts, R. (1998) 'Youth
and the media' in Youth Studies: An Australian
Perspective, Longman, Melbourne, p137.
3. For example, in a Victorian State Youth Round Table
consultation, media was one of the areas identified as
influencing community perceptions of young people.
See Office for Youth (2002) Youth perception and identity in rural and regional Victoria: report of the sixth
Youth Round Table, Department of Education,
Victoria.
20. Australian Centre for Independent, op cit, p8.
21. Ibid p13.
22. Ibid p9.
23. White, R. (1996) 'Ten arguments against youth curfews', Youth Studies Australia, Vol 15 No 4, p29.
24. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2003) Crime and
Safety in Australia, Cat no. 4509.0.
25. City of Melbourne (2002) Here and now: connecting young people, community and the city of
Melbourne, youth strategy 2001-2003, p13.
4. Ibid, p9.
26. Panelli, R., Nairn, K., Atwool, N. & McCormack,
J. (2002) 'Hanging out: Print media constructions of
young people in public space', Youth Studies Australia,
Vol 21 No 4, p40.
5. Franklin, B. (1999) 'Misleading Messages: the Media
and Social Policy' in Franklin, B. (ed) Social Policy, the
Media and Misrepresentation, p2.
27. See
http://www.thewest.com.au/20030415/news/perth/twnews-perth-home-sto94942.html.
6. See Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (2002) Inquiry
into the Inhalation of Volatile Substances: A submission
to the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee,
www.yacvic.org.au/includes/pdfs_wordfiles/0202_chro
mingsubmission.doc
28. See
http://www.thewest.com.au/20030415/news/perth/twnews-perth-home-sto94942.html.
7. Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (1992)
Youth and the Media: A report into the representation
of young people in the New South Wales Print Media,
Working Paper No. 3, University of Technology
Sydney, p1.
8. Ibid, p1.
9. Ibid p40.
10. Davies, S. (1997) 'A sight to behold. Media and the
visualisation of youth, evil and innocence' in Bessant, J.
& Hill, R. (eds) Youth, Crime and the Media: Media
representation of and reaction to young people in relation to law and order, National Clearing House for
Youth Studies, Hobart, p62.
11. The Age (2002) Binge drinking takes hold among
youth, 14/9/02.
12. The Age (2003) Gatecrasher gang 'like wild
animals, 17/6/03.
13. Herald Sun (2001) Accused teen liked
knives, 31/1/01.
29. White, op cit, p30.
30. Panelli et al, op cit, p47.
31. Ibid, p46.
32. Australian Centre for Independent Journalism,
op cit, p43.
33. For example: O'Donnell, M., O'Donnell, A. &
Jackson, A. (1990) 'The portrayal of alcohol and drug
issues in the Victorian print media: an analysis', Drug
Education Journal of Australia, Vol 4:2, pp. 119-129;
Oddy, W. & Hawks, D. (1997) 'Drugs and the media:
a Western Australian perspective', Health Promotion
Journal of Australia, Vol 7:3, pp. 165 - 8; Saunders, N.
1998, 'How the media report ecstasy', Journal of
Substance misuse, Vol. 3:2, pp. 98 - 100.
34. The Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia
(ADCA) organise an annual Drug Action Week to
highlight the achievements of organisations and communities that are working to address drug-related issues.
35. The Age (2002) No soft options for crimes of
addiction, 22/6/02 p4.
36. Ibid p4.
14. The Age (2002) Trying to curb the teen binge rampage 04/09/02.
37. The Australian (2002) Judge thanks gang rape
victim, 28/6/02.
15. Australian Centre for Independent Journalism,
op cit, p43.
38. The Age 22/6/02 op cit.
16. Ibid, p3.
17. Ibid, p11.
18. Shepard, A. (2002) 'Young lives, big stories: Crime,
abuse and little context dominate coverage of children's
lives', American Journalism Review, Vol 24, p.4.
19. Bessant et al, op cit, p138.
39. Ibid.
40. Sunday Herald Sun (2002) Grog, roads, bad mix,
23/6/02, p22.
41. Department of Human Services Victroia (2000)
The media and it's coverage of illicit Drug issues in
Drugs in a multicultural society: an assessment of
involvement, Public Health Division.
> Youth Affairs Council of Victoria | In the Spotlight
19
42. Ibid.
43. Sunday Herald Sun 23/6/02, op cit.
44. Ibid.
45. Ibid.
46. Ibid.
47. Herald Sun (2002) Lifting the drug curse
26/6/02 p19.
48. Bessant et al, op cit, p139.
49. Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, op
cit, p42.
50. Ibid, p20.
51. Ibid, p40.
52. Ibid, p42.
53. Department of Families, Youth and Community
Care Queensland (1998) Making the News: The Media
action manual for young people and Youth
Organisations.
54. Australian Centre for Independent Journalism,
op cit, p5;
55. See http://users.bigpond.net,au/tlaidler/ypm.pdf.
56. Crane, P. (1997) 'Whose views? Whose interests?
The absence of young people's voices in mainstream
media reports on crime' in Bessant & Hill op cit, pp
93-103.
57. Sercombe, H. (1997) 'Youth, crime and the economy of news production' in Bessant and Hill, R. op
cit, p50.
58. See http://users.bigpond.net,au/tlaidler/ypm.pdf.
59. Kuehn & Yarlett, op cit.
60. Youth Action and Policy Association (1995) Young
people and the media, p8.
61. Burton, L. (1999) What are Australian youth viewing, reading and listening to? A review of the literature
and studies pertaining to the media use of young people, For the Youth Bureau, Department of Education,
Training and Youth Affairs Australia, p26.
62. Ibid, p27.
63. Ibid, p17.
64. Ibid, p28.
65. Sercombe, op cit, pp43-53.
66. Youth Action and Policy Association, op cit, p8.
67. Bessant et al, op cit, p143.
68. Forde, S. (1997) 'A descriptive look at the public
role of Australian independent Alternative Press', Asia
Pacific Media Educator, Issue No.3.
69. Kuehn & Yarlett, op cit.
70. This information was provided by the Murdoch
Children's Research Institute and also includes information from Department of Families, Youth and
Community Care Queensland (1998) Making the
News: The Media action manual for young people and
Youth Organisations.
71. Australian Centre for Independent Journalism,
op cit, p44.
20