Pay attention to children's issues

Children in Broadcasting, known as Curious Minds, called on civil society, the media, politicians and government to pay serious attention to issues concerning children.

The media gives priority to political stories to the detriment of important issues affecting the lives of children, Master Samuel Kissi, President of Curious Minds expressed this concern at a press briefing in Accra.

He said it was the hope of members that issues on children would be pursued with the same vigour that political stories were being received.

The briefing was part of activities to mark International Children's Day of Broadcasting to take place in Kumasi on Sunday, December 14.

The day, which is in line with Articles 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, offers children in broadcasting the opportunity to showcase their ability to talk about issues and ask questions about what the leaders are doing to make the lives of children better.

Radio and television programmes would be held to mark the day, which has the theme: " We Can Be Heroes".

Master Kissi said children also have the right to have access to appropriate information in the media and called on politicians and social commentators to always consider the interest of children and talk on development issues since they, as children learnt from the elders.

"We are entering an election year, we fear that the present trend might worsen and we may not like to talk about the likely consequences".

He said Curious Minds believed that the world could be changed and that the banner of responsibility would be held high in programmes.

"We all have the responsibility in ensuring that the child today becomes an adult that we would like to see in the future," adding that using positive peer influence, children could re-direct the energies that were sometimes misused.

" If some of our friends spent their school time begging indirectly by being guiding beggars, what do we hope to achieve in the future? We need to push more to have children's situations changed and Curios Minds would continue to work to help other children with the opportunity to be on the media to air their problems," he added.

Mrs Sara Akrofi Quacoo, President of Women in Broadcasting said Curious Minds was formed by WIB to advocate for the participation of children in the media.

She said due to unclear policy on how children's issues could be approached in the media, sometimes such issues were sidelined.