New report: Broadcasters play a key role in winning the battle to open young minds

13/10/2010 10:38:00

A new report launched this week by International Broadcasting Trust (IBT), in partnership with Plan UK and VSO,  reveals that most young people in the UK are deeply concerned about global poverty, but their desire to contribute is being diluted by a growing sense of disengagement from mainstream media.

The YouGov poll of 1,500 14-20 year-olds  demonstrates that although many young people are well informed, this is undermined by negative imagery that dominates the media’s view of the developing world and young people, driving disengagement.

Television remains the favoured way of reaching young people, but with few programmes on the wider world targeted at young audiences the report calls for broadcasters and charities to find innovative ways of unlocking the potential of passionate young activists.

Global Generation - Major findings

More than two-thirds (67%) of young Brits worry about the world’s poorest people. Most young people would like to do more to help, but face barriers including a lack of time, money and self-confidence.

Three-quarters (75%) of those polled keep on top of world events via TV news and nearly two-thirds (62%) by newspapers and magazines. But, young people are increasingly switching off due to negative portrayals of young people in the UK and international coverage being confined to famine and disaster.

Young activists start campaigning and volunteering through a range of influences - including media, family, friends and teachers. Involvement is a long-term commitment, with activists likely to start volunteering close to home, while nearly a third were willing to give up their time overseas.

Schools play a pivotal role in countering negative portrayals of the developing world and introduce young people to global issues. Most young people kick-start a connection to poor countries thanks to lessons, charity led activities or passionate teachers.

Two young people who took part in the research for Global Generation commented on their first hand experience of being active young people:

Liz White, 20, is a Global Xchange volunteer; a volunteering partnership between the British Council and VSO:

”By the time you become a teenager, you are used to being bombarded by images of suffering that it begins to loose any real impact. Broadcasters need to find some way of restoring the human connection between young people here and overseas”.

“Volunteering has become for me a purpose and a way of life, I feel a heightened sense of connection that I can’t ignore. I have been lucky enough to volunteer in Nigeria and develop relationships and now there is no longer a barrier between me and the 6 o'clock news”.

IBT is an educational and media charity that promotes quality coverage of the developing world. The Global Generation report aims to raise awareness of the strategic role media and young people can play as a tool for development. The following recommendations hope to encourage more broadcasters to consider how to reach out to young audiences.

Global Generation: Recommendations

Broadcasters need to reconsider how they perceive young people. News editors should consider the impact that their portrayal of young people has on young audiences, and look for ways of reflecting a more varied range of stories that feature them.

Broadcasters should consider setting up young people’s audience panels, which could inform and inspire the production of programmes aimed specifically at this global generation; building on the success of BBC3’s Blood, Sweat and T-shirts strand, which covers the wider world, appeals to young people and places them at the heart of the story. 

News coverage of young people is too often one-dimensional and young people are put off by the tone and content of television news. Negative imagery of the developing world, particularly in television news, has a significant impact on young audiences and news broadcasters need to reflect a wider range of stories from developing countries. 

Whilst schools are successful in informing young people about the wider world, they need to find new ways of turning knowledge into engagement. Many young people are attracted to the idea of volunteering but are discouraged from doing so by a lack of knowledge or confidence. NGOs should consider ways in which they could make it easier for young people to become involved in global issues.

Editor's notes

The full Global Generation report and statistics table is available on request.

For more information, case studies with young people from across the UK and interview access please contact:

Rachel Trayner (VSO), 020 8780 7265, 07738 982122, rachel.trayner@vso.org.uk

Research

The opinion poll was conducted for IBT by YouGov through an online survey of 1,500 14-20 year olds. The 16-20 year olds were drawn from YouGov’s consumer panel of 280,000 individuals aged 16 and over. The 14-15 year olds were drawn from those with parents on the

YouGov panel who had previously replied that they were willing to allow their child to participate. Respondents were sampled so as to be representative in terms of age, gender, social grade and region. Fieldwork took place from June 7-16, 2010.

IBT is a media and educational charity, which works with NGOs, broadcasters, producers, regulators and Parliamentarians on a range of projects that help to promote high quality coverage of the wider world. IBT works with the media to further awareness and understanding of people’s lives in the developing world and the issues that affect them.

Global Xchange (GX) is a partnership programme managed by the British Council and leading international development charity VSO. Open to people aged 18-25 it teams young people from the UK up with young people from a developing country who work together on community projects in the UK and the developing country.  The main aim of the programme is to promote intercultural learning and understanding through volunteering. 

Plan UK’s Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) is a group of young people aged 13-18 who offer Plan an invaluable youth perspective. The charity also has two young members on its Board of Trustees. For more information on Plan UK’s work in helping some of the world’s poorest children visit