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25 Mar 2018
The Jordan Media Institute (JMI) held a consultative meeting with a group of academics and journalists who are specialized in children to develop a teaching curriculum based on protecting children from violence. The curriculum is primarily meant for university students.<br />
The attendees discussed the plan of the curriculum and its broad outlines. They reviewed the activities of the project through working groups to discuss, develop and elaborate on its items to reflect positively on the final outcome, which is designed for students of journalism and media and those interested in reporting on children.<br />
The curriculum aims at providing theoretical and applied content in the field of journalistic and media coverage and writing reports on the affairs and issues of children, specifically protection of children. It is primarily meant for journalism, media, and communication students at universities. It could also be an elective for all faculties and students in different specializations.<br />
The curriculum will take into consideration the human rights perspective and UN approach, specifically that of the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, and Jordanian legal and cultural frameworks.<br />
The idea of the curriculum has emanated from the pressing need for developing the knowledge and skills of new generations of Jordanian and Arab journalists concerning professional and ethical principles and values and enabling them to apply best practices in handling the affairs of children, adolescents, and youth in reports and media coverage. It is also meant to teach journalists to heed the sensitivity of coverage specifically when it involves children and adolescents in dangerous environments or violence and the protection that they need.<br />
The participants made some key recommendations, including identifying procedural definitions in line with legislation in force, highlighting the best interests of the child, explaining the concept of social responsibility of the media for protecting children, and developing a number of criteria for best practices when doing reports and covering the affairs of children.<br />
The meeting is within the activities of a project to enhance the quality of reporting on child rights and child protection in Jordan, which is implemented by the JMI in collaboration with UNICEF.