WSMC2014: Children’s media makers urged to be bold and creative
Media professionals of the 21st century have been urged to be bold, to act differently, imaginative and creative on behalf of children and young people.
Speaking at the close of the ABU-run World Summit on Media for Children held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 8-10 September 2014 – the first to be held in Asia – YBhg Dato’ Norhyati Ismail, Director-General of the Radio Televisyen Malaysia, said she wanted to echo the words of WSMC Founder Dr Patricia Edgar.
“Let Kuala Lumpur be the place where those changes begin by prioritising the wellbeing of our children and young people in the new paradigm shift of media development of this century,” she said.
“All media professionals need to make the necessary adjustments to play our crucial roles more effectively, in order to remain relevant and be a vibrant creative industry provider for the young children of the digital age.
“It is my fervent hope that the Kuala Lumpur Declaration will serve as a launching pad of those guiding principles, to provide high quality content, age-targeted and non-exploitative for children across all platforms, to ensure universal access.”
YBrs Dr Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus, Acting President of the ABU said in his closing remarks that the Union, having members and affiliated members in the region besides other sister unions all over the world, would “do its utmost to ensure the noble objectives of the 7th WSMC Kuala Lumpur Declaration could be achieved”.
“It is crucial that media fraternity, particularly social media practitioners, should not prioritise their venture undertakings towards commercial-oriented in media content development,” he said. “They should balance their media contents by incorporating embedded-educational and cultural elements to instil positive social values among the children- our future leaders.”
Dr Yunus thanked the summit’s co-hosts RTM and WSMC Foundation, all the sponsors and sent best wishes to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that will host the 2017 summit.