NCJ Number
166187
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This survey found that children thought television rather than other news sources was the best source of information on issues they cared about.
Abstract
Of children who said they watched a television news program the day before being interviewed, 36 percent watched local news, 17 percent watched national news, and 10 percent watched both local and national news. Children saw a negative image of themselves in the news since news programs generally reported on young people involved in drugs, violence, or crime. Children said they wished news programs would cover more stories about young people who did good things. In addition, children felt news programs should improve their coverage of teenage sex and pregnancy, gangs, public school education, and drug use. Children generally believed news programs did not understand most young people. Significant differences were observed among ethnic groups on some issues. Black children were very critical of the way in which their ethnic group was presented in the news, and black and Hispanic children were more connected with talk shows and tabloid programs on television than white children.