26 August 2006
The first edition of a children's newspaper, written for children by a group of youngsters from Tehran who attended a journalism workshop supported by UNICEF in the offices of a local weekly newspaper, will hit newsstands in the coming weeks.
Fourteen aspiring reporters between the ages of 12 and 15 worked with adult journalists from the Iranian Hamshahri Mahaleh weekly to produce "Tickling" a one-page insert set to contain photos, interviews and stories about life in the capital from a child's perspective, UNICEF said in a statement Friday.
UNICEF said that the young participants were taught about the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and how young people can use the CRC as a source for story ideas and how to exercise their own right to freedom of expression.
The workshop was facilitated by two journalists from the UK who trained the children in reporting, interviewing, researching and editing.
Maisha Frost and Arjumand Wajid both work for MediaWise, an organization that employs working journalists to conduct training all over the world on subjects such as ethics, children's rights and journalists' codes of conduct.
"The children spent a day following a local journalist on the beat. They watched and learned about how to put together a story. They then had to write up their own article from the view of a teenager," UNICEF said.
"Allowing children, through a well-established and hugely popular local newspaper, to seek out and report on the issues affecting their lives provides a unique opportunity for young people in Tehran," said Miranda Eeles, UNICEF's Communication Officer in Iran. "It also instills in them a sense of responsibility and promotes participation in the society around them." - The Daily Star
