The time to remind Media organisations and people in the media to once again join the campaign to give the Pen and the Microphone to the children to replace the adults in taking responsibility of all media work for atleast 24 hours is due.
In the count down to the International Children Day of Broadcasting 2011, it is now that media organisations and partners of the media are mostly needed to spare time, energy and resources to ensure that the world citizens below the age of 18 are poised to be in total control of all communication positions for one day.
The entire globe has agreed to join the United Nations to recognise 6th March every year as an international children’s day of broadcasting. Since then it has become a day for celebrating young people in the media. The day gives broadcasters the chance to empower young people by giving them media skills and putting their voices mostly on air.
This gives children the opportunity to discover the reality behind the work place and people working in the media who always appear to them as magicians by way of broadcasting mostly through the radio and television. While it is happening, elders will have the chance to be at home or at work and be greeted with the news of watching children’s faces from the television or hearing their voices through the radio as well as reading their stories from the news papers.
Staff of news and media organisation will undoubtedly experience long days and hours managing children instead of adults in getting them ready for public service.
Parents, teachers, and care givers will be able to record into their diaries in both active and passive ways responses by their children, students and kids accordingly and go further to plan strategies alongside questions that will direct the rightful upbringing of these junior citizens.
The point of handing the pen and the microphone over to children does not mean to exploit their resourcefulness in the interest of the media. It is rather with the conviction that one out of 365 days of total surrender of whatever medium of communication solely to the hands of the children irrespective of their race, gender, ethnicity, religion or other groups in  the interest of child empowerment.
Research has repeatedly shown that children store valuable and ideas, skills, talents and wisdom which if properly nurtured can be explored to let pass the current incidents of injustice, violence and inequality.
Children need rights. Children need much more than being taught and instructed on a daily basis. A lot of children want to be asked and be heard. A lot more want much more time in corresponding with their mates the responsibility to preside over discussions of nothing beyond matters affecting them.
If a forum is open for children and by children, people including child rights activists, parents or care givers and teachers will be immensely able to tell if children can define, identify or describe who they really are. They will also learn if children deserve less or more right(s) than the ones they are given. They will additionally learn how the issue of rights, privileges, care and responsibility are perceived by children depending on the pressures on them.
This is why the message goes beyond calling on media institutions to surrender responsibilities to let children be in control of all communication tools for a period of 24hours. The role of the business community and government also needs to be solicited.
The business community should be willing to be wholeheartedly responsible among other possibilities, a drop of air time in market advertisement caused in celebrating the day and government(s) should be willing to bear possible neglects of its usual press releases due to constraint in time and space. Because it will be ridiculous calling for this form of celebration of the children’s day if media institutions especially the private media operate under threats of financial difficulties due to possible adverse reaction of their business partners and partners in development including government(s).
To accept the values of the day, the media need time to empower the children with the necessary skills to produce day long programmes to match if not better than the programmes presented or to be presented in the remaining 364 days of the year. By this way, the usual space for commercial shows and advert slots may repeatedly be caved to suit the interest of the children.
It continues with the call for parents and care givers to be willing to allow children stay more than the usual time away from home to possibly attend trainings and rehearsals ahead of the day. Teachers on the other hand will need to be ready and willing to give some extra moral lessons to children who may miss attending their lessons due to pre engagement of the children’s talking day.
The International Children Day of Broadcasting deserves attention! It deserves recognition beyond the name of recognition! It deserves a cease fire by violent makers, stop to war of words, much more a claim to advertisement time refund from the media, or break of ties, and trust with the media just for dedicating the day for children by children.