Kids
get Media Smart as UK initiative is launched |
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| Media
Smart®, a new media literacy initiative focussing
initially on helping children interpret and understand
advertising, was launched in November by UK advertisers,
broadcasters, advertising agencies and the children’s
publication The Newspaper.
Developed in association with teachers, parents and
charity partner the National Confederation of Parent
Teacher Associations (NCPTA), Media Smart® is designed
for primary school children, aged six–11 years
old. Media Smart® uses a range of teaching and advertising
materials to explain the purpose of advertising and
how advertisements are made. |
Media
Smart® is the first initiative of its kind in the
UK. It includes:
• A national TV and a print advertising campaign
• An information and educational website www.mediasmart.org.uk
featuring dedicated areas for parents, children and teachers
• A teaching resource, called Be Adwise, which includes
an in-school video, teachers’ notes, classroom activity
sheets, poster and parents’ leaflet |
| Extracts
from speech by Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell MP Speaking at
the Media Smart launch – Wednesday November 13
2002
| "Over
the past 2 decades the media industry has changed
dramatically in size and reach. 98% of households
have televisions and some 40% of UK households
have digital television. The number of television
channels in the UK has risen from three, twenty
years ago, to over 250 today. British viewers
could choose from 300 hours of television in a
week in December 1980. Change is fast too. Take
the Internet. Broadcast television took 13 years
to reach 50 million users but the Internet reached
that level of usage in just four years. Today
they could choose from over 40,000 hours." |
"From
a young age children must have the ability to
think critically about what they are viewing.
In relation to advertising, we ought to encourage
the development of specific "skills",
such as an awareness of and ability to assess
the commercial messages within programmes and
develop, in young children, a critical approach
to advertising."
"They need help to decode the messages that
they are sent by an increasingly diverse media
so they can make informed judgments. That is why
I welcome the work you are doing to help young
people deconstruct and understand the adverts
that are aimed at them. Advertising is not bad
in itself - of course it isn't. It is a given
of modern life. In fact, loss of advertising funding
of children's programming would have an undeniably
negative impact on its availability and quality.
But it aims to persuade. That's the point of it." |
"….And
speaking about the Communications Bill that will
be introduced into Parliament this session, she
said…..The Protection of citizens and consumers
is high on OFCOM’s agenda. We have provided
for a Consumer panel, with a principal duty to
protect the interests of consumers, and at the
heart of OFCOM will be the content board, representing
the public interest in broadcasting, ensuring
that effective content regulation continues and
that media literacy is encouraged. Where broadcasters
are not acting in the public interest OFCOM will
be able to bite. I hope it will not have to bite
too often." |
To read this speech in full go to: http://www.isba.org.uk/public_documents/SoSC-Mediasmart-speech.pdf
|
Available
to all UK primary schools from January 2003, the
Media Smart® teaching resource has been developed
with teachers and meets National Curriculum requirements
in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
in English, maths, art & design, PHSE and citizenship.
A similar successful industry-led programme, TV
& Me, is running in Canada and has the support
of parents, teachers, and the Canadian government.
It is hoped that similar initiatives will also run
in other European countries. |
Speaking
at the launch, The Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary
of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said:
"I want young people to grow up challenging
everything. Questioning everything. Because that
is the only way to understand everything."
"It is only right that people should have
the chance to understand how the persuaders persuade.
So that they can make more informed choices. As
consumers, and as citizens."
"Media Smart evens up the odds a little.
Gives the consumer a fighting chance. It is an
example of an industry taking responsibility for
its own actions. It is enlightened self-interest."
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Paul
Jackson, Chairman of Media Smart®, said: “The
advertising business has a long track record of
responsible advertising to children. Media Smart®
continues this tradition. Media Smart® is
a positive initiative by industry and charity
partner the NCPTA to help children use advertising
for their benefit. By explaining the purpose of
advertising and how advertisements are made, children
will learn more quickly and more easily how best
to make more informed choices.” |
| Media
Smart® is supported by the following organisations
and companies:
Advertising Association, British Toy and Hobby
Association, BSkyB, Burkitt DDB, Cadbury Trebor
Bassett, Fox Kids, GMTV, Hasbro, ISBA, Kellogg's,
Masterfoods, Mattel, National Confederation of
Parent Teacher Associations (charity partner),
Nickelodeon, Procter & Gamble, The Newspaper,
Turner
Broadcasting and Viacom Brand Solutions.
Ergo
Communications, 21 Prince's Mews, London W2 4NX
Tel: +44 (0)20 7221 4374 Fax: +44 (0)20 7229 6630
Web: www.ergo-c.com |
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January
03 / End of Page Four |
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