Chapter 14: Children’s Exposure to Trauma and Violence in the Media: Evolving Literacy Skills to Counter Hype and Foster Hope

Children today are raised in a media-centric culture, and their exposure to various news media serves as a conduit to the larger social world. During difficult events, such as times of war and other crises, information on tragic issues may permeate their young lives and can influence their understanding of the world as well as their beliefs. Children’s natural curiosity engages them as captive witnesses to the media images and messages which bombard them.

This influence is especially pertinent for children’s development, since television news not only reflects the events of our society but also mirrors the values of our market driven culture, where content decisions are often based on what stories can attract the largest audience of viewers (Potter, 2004). Although many people will espouse the desire for a family-friendly news media, news programs that project sensational and stereotypical images tend to attract more people than objective and representative accounts of our daily lives.