Our Manifesto
The breaking news is filled with the same old views. In the continuously growing world of media, we’ve created a newsroom where all kids can create, debate and navigate news with confidence. Because confidence encourages opinions, opinions turn into actions, and actions create a new reality. A reality where the confidence gap is closing, and we diversify the news, one mini reporter at a time. Media Cubs, Broadcasting Confidence.
Why Media Cubs is needed…
There is a huge imbalance between who consumes the news and who creates the news: In the UK, 94% journalists are white; 65% of news/business articles are by men; 51% of leading journalists and 80% of editors are privately educated; only 11% of journalists are from working class backgrounds. There is a massive imbalance between who shapes and consumes news. We believe that young people from all backgrounds have a place in newsrooms and should feel confident that their views matter.
We also exist to increase media literacy and to close both the attainment and confidence gaps that children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face in comparison to their more privileged peers. Fewer than half of disadvantaged children reached expected levels of attainment at the end of primary school (Nuffield Foundation), and poor communication skills are closely linked to social disadvantage (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists).
Mini reporters leave our programmes able to speak confidently to adults, each other, in front of peers and the camera. They develop the skills to confidently have their voice heard enabling them to speak up and out about things that matter to them.
We work with children and young people who are most in need of our workshops to build confidence and skills (media literacy, communication, digital); boost self-esteem; and increase future social mobility by actively seeking ‘real-life’ media opportunities: from interviews with role models to getting young reporters’ work published in regional and national media outlets. This builds and reinforces their beliefs that their views matter and they have a place in the media.
