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Media Salon: Youth Voices in the Juvenile Justice Debate
 On February 11, 2002, more than 70 community members, including many young people representing various organizations, gathered at KQED to discuss how youth can create and utilize media to influence public opinion about juvenile justice issues. The event was also Webcast live for those who were unable to attend in person, including youth in juvenile hall.
Read a summary of best practices, as defined in the Media Salon
Listen to the complete recording of the event 
(RealPlayer, available for free at www.real.com is required to listen.)
Three Bay Area organizations presented their work:
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The Beat Within, a twice-weekly journal of writing and art by incarcerated youth.
(Pictured: Michael Perez, Rosa Verdugo, Joey Gange and Efty Sharony) |
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Youth Media Council, an advocacy organization that trains youth in media analysis and holds news organizations accountable for their coverage of youth issues.
(Pictured: Aryeetey Welbeck and Emil DuPont)
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KQED Youth Media Corps, a training program that guides youth in creating Web and broadcast material about issues that concern them.
(Pictured: Elizabeth Kanter)
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 The conversation focused on three questions:
- How can youth perspectives inform mainstream media coverage of juvenile justice?
- What are the best practices in youth media production on this issue?
- How can youth media organizations collaborate to be more effective?
As the conversation progressed, another important question emerged: Should youth media organizations focus on creating outlets for youth to express themselves, or should youth media organizations focus on getting their perspectives into the mass media?
 Many people felt that, since large media outlets can reach huge numbers of people who may ultimately vote on youth-related legislation, youth should work to get their views heard through these channels. Others disagreed. Many youth expressed a strong sense of having given up on mainstream media outlets. Some participants believed that youth should create media networks of their own.
Malkia Cyril of the Youth Media Council struck a balance with this statement: "We can create our own media, and I think that's a positive strategy, but it's equally important that we hold the people who control the information accountable for how they frame and shape our stories."
The Media Salon is a series of free presentations and thoughtful discussions, held on the first Monday of each month at KQED in San Francsico.
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