The UAB and 3Cat reflect on the challenge of informing children in the digital environment on the 25th anniversary of InfoK
The Faculty of Communication Sciences hosted, on October 23, a conference with journalism professionals and experts from the academic and educational field to discuss information addressed to children, the educational role of audiovisual media and new media consumption habits. The day featured an inaugural lecture by Lewis James, editor of the BBC’s children’s newsround, and a participatory debate with more than 200 children from five schools.
The Faculty of Communication Sciences hosted on Friday, October 23, the congress “25 years of InfoK. The challenge of informing children in the digital environment”, organized jointly by the UAB and 3Cat on the 25th anniversary of the reference children's information in Catalonia. The day brought together journalism professionals, researchers and experts from the educational field to reflect on how to inform children in an increasingly digitized media context. The meeting focused on the challenges of information aimed at children, its educational dimension and changes in the audiovisual consumption habits of children and adolescents.
InfoK, which began broadcasting 25 years ago, has established itself as a benchmark for children’s information in Catalonia thanks to the ability to explain current affairs with a language adapted to the little ones. The program addresses both current events and more complex issues, such as bullying, fake news and armed conflict.
The day began with the institutional parliaments of the rector of the UAB, Javier Lafuente; the secretary of Telecommunications and Digital Transformation of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Albert Tort i Pugibet, and the president of the Catalan Corporation of Audiovisual Media, Rosa Romà. Then Lewis James, editor of the BBC's children's newsround, delivered the inaugural lecture. This program, which began broadcasting in 1972, pioneered information for children in Europe.
The program included three round tables to address different aspects of communication addressed to children. The first, focused on experiences in child information treatment, was attended by Núria Vilanova, current director of InfoK; Marta Narberhaus, professor at the Faculty and curator of the congress; Salvi Canadell, head of the Digital Culture Area of the Department of Education and Vocational Training of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and David Bueno, from the University of Barcelona.
The second table dealt with the educational role of audiovisual media, with the participation of Laia Servera, journalist linked to InfoK; Mònica Figueras, from Pompeu Fabra University; José Alberto García Avilés, from Miguel Hernández University, and Cristina Mercader, from the Faculty of Education of the UAB.
The third table addressed the future challenges and perspectives of media consumption of children and adolescents. Participants included the journalist Manel Alías, Santiago Giraldo, coordinator of the UAB Degree in Journalism; Sara Malo, from the University of Girona, and Miguel Ángel Casado, from the University of the Basque Country.
One of the highlights of the congress was the participatory debate held in the afternoon, in which more than 200 children from five schools were able to share their opinions on how they are informed, what topics they are interested in and what they think of the contents they receive through the media. The session, moderated by Núria Vilanova, allowed the perspective of the children themselves to be incorporated into the debate on the present and the future of child information.
The conference concluded with the interventions of Virgínia Luzón, vice-rector for Communication at the UAB; Juan José Perona, dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences, and Sigfrid Gras, director of TV3.
The conference, curated by Faculty professor Marta Narberhaus, is part of the celebration of InfoK’s 25th anniversary and academic research on the informative treatment of children and the gender perspective in the media. Narberhaus obtained the fourth edition of the Montserrat Minobis Scholarship with a project on the representation of women journalists, the treatment of issues with a gender perspective and the promotion of equality and women's rights at InfoK. During the meeting, a collective book dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the program was also presented, which expands the reflection on its trajectory and the current challenges of information aimed at young people.
The conference was coordinated by Faculty professor Marta Narberhaus, who has published a collective book dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the program, expanding the reflection on the trajectory of InfoK and the current challenges of information aimed at young people.