Reporting on children in the media
The Reporting on Children in the Media workshop, hosted by the Wits Centre for Journalism, brings together practicing journalists, communicators and human rights activists on a journey of interactive seminars that aim to deepen their reporting skills in the best interests of children. The course also includes open sessions for journalists and other interested persons to take part in critical discussions about key issues when reporting on children, and how they are represented in media.
Next workshop:
When: 20 – 24 October 2025, 9am – 3pm daily.
Where: In-person at the Wits Centre for Journalism (Floor 12, Es’kia Mphahlele / Wits Art Museum Building, Braamfonetein, Johannesburg).
Course facilitator: Jamaine Krige (Media Monitoring Africa).
Workshop fee: R4,500 per person.
To apply for one of ten bursaries available, send your CV and a motivation letter to [email protected] no later than 15 October 2025.
Application email and queries: [email protected]
Course objectives:
• Equip journalists with a basic foundation in children’s rights principles according to regional and international conventions like the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Develop ethical reporting strategies that uphold children’s dignity, privacy and participation in line with child protection laws in African nations.
• Explore the diversity of children’s experiences and contexts across the African continent and examine complex social issues facing African children such as poverty, violence, health challenges and barriers to education.
• Identify challenges and solutions to amplify the voices of children, including vulnerable groups like undocumented children, adopted children, LGBTQI+ children and children with disabilities.
• Build skills in interviewing children and producing impactful news stories that drive positive change.
• Promote professional best practices for engaging children as voices in the media while safeguarding their wellbeing.
• Facilitate meaningful dialogue between journalists, child rights experts and children themselves for richer, more nuanced reporting.
• Enable participants to manage their own personal challenges and mental wellness when reporting on children’s issues.
By the end of the course journalists will be able to:
• Access both experts and children to ensure diverse and informed perspectives on issues that affect Africa’s young people.
• Integrate the learnings and experiences of other journalists and experts into the way in which they report children’s stories.
• Identify and unpack the effect that poor media coverage of children can have on children and their issues.
• Develop practical strategies when reporting on children and ensure a human rights-centered approach to their reporting.
• Present events in terms of issues and human interest to engage audiences.
• Write clearly and effectively on children’s issues.