A roughly mapped terra incognita: Image of the child in adult-oriented media contents

Abstract

The study analyzes the image of the child in the media contents intended for adult audiences in Serbia, considering the importance of the role media play in shaping public opinion on children, as well as the influence of such public opinion on adults' attitudes, decisions and actions concerning children. The study focuses on visibility and portrayal of children in the media, in order to determine to what extent children are present in them, and in what way. Relevant data were collected for three media - press, radio and television - mostly covering the entire territory of Serbia, over two consecutive months (April - May 2001). Content analysis revealed that children are not only underrepresented, but also misrepresented, in Serbian media.

Keywords

• developmental social psychology
• image of the child
• media content analysis