Abstract:
This study investigated community perceptions of mass media's role in promoting and
protecting children's rights in the Effutu Municipality in the Central region of Ghana.
Employing a mixed-method approach with an explanatory sequential design, the
research surveyed 400 participants from four communities and conducted in-depth
interviews. The study revealed significant gaps in media coverage of child rights
issues, characterized by limited, sporadic, and often sensationalized reporting. Key
findings indicated that the media has not effectively created public awareness of its
role in child rights protection, and coverage usually fails to translate awareness into
concrete action. Most respondents perceived media reporting on child rights as eventdriven
rather than consistent. Challenges identified included insufficient resources for
media organizations, lack of specialized training for journalists, and cultural norms
that hinder coverage. Despite these limitations, the study found that media coverage
has led to some positive changes in child protection policies. The study concludes that
a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach is needed to enhance the media's role in
child rights promotion. Recommendations include developing guidelines for media
houses to allocate specific content to child rights issues, establishing dedicated child
rights desks in local media organizations, and implementing comprehensive training
programs for journalists.
Description:
A thesis to the Department of Political Science Education,
Faculty of Social Science, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Political Science with Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba