This week's Article of the Week is:
Article 17: I have the right to get information in lots of ways, so long as it’s safe
Article 17 of the UNCRC says children and young people should be able to access information, particularly from the media. They should be able to get information from many places— from their country and beyond.
This article applies to all kinds of media, including:
Information and education
Information from the media should form part of a child or young person’s education. Because of this, it should help them learn about the things listed under Article 29 of the UNCRC. These include:
The media should also provide young people with information about their health. It should show young people in a positive light, bringing attention to the good things that young people do and taking care to show people who might be marginalised in a way that is not degrading.
Everyone should have access to the media
Article 17 applies to all young people, and special efforts should be made to make sure everyone has access to the media. This includes:
To help young people who may find the media difficult to access, media should be translated into multiple languages where this is possible. Media should also be available in formats that are possible for young people with disabilities to access.
Protection from harmful media
Article 17 also says that children and young people should be protected from media that would be harmful to them.