Libro

MEDIA LITERACY AND INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE
Strategies, Debates and Good Practices
In this paper, our main objective was to understand the connection between
children and news, not only in terms of knowledge and perception of content,
but thinking of them as potential producers and evaluators of news discourse.
For this, we chose to apply a qualitative methodology framework, called
reflexive text, because we believe that children have language and writing skills,
which enable them to develop critical and autonomous texts.
We chose to work with a group of children aged 9 to 10 years old, attending a
public school in Oporto district (Portugal).
We consider that it`s essential that children get informed and talk about their
media experiences, especially with regard to the news. Give them space to
discuss the contents, focusing on their participation in media relations, is a
fundamental dimension given by the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(1989).
At the same time, engage and awaken children to the issues of today,
constitutes an important step to raising awareness and encouraging critical
thinking about media and its role in society. This is not to be skeptical or cynical,
as advocated by Evelyne Bévort, delegated director of the Centre de Liaison
entre L’Enseignement et des Médias d’Information (Clemi). The purpose is to
have interest and curiosity and at the same time, being autonomous about what
is presented. These aspects are central in the formation of interested citizens.
This article is structured into three different parts. At first, we wrote about the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), in particular, about the
participation rights. We also made a brief presentation about the state of the art
on the involvement between children and news.
The second part presents the activity carried out with children, describing the
procedure adopted during the contact with the class and the methodology
chosen for the investigation.
Finally, we analyzed the texts created by children, to present and discuss the
most relevant results
2. The Discourse of Childhood: historical background and participation
rights
The recognition of the child as fully rights integrated and real citizen, as we see
nowadays, was the result of a winding course marked by social and historical
moments. In the 17th century, children were seen as human beings with less
intelligence, when compared to adults (Ariès, 1988). They were like a miniature
adult (Pinto, 2000).
In the late 17th century, and early in the 18th century, people began to have a
greater concern for children and their recognition in society. This was a period
of relative autonomy of the child against the adult world (Samagaio, 2004), in
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