Encouraging kids to get media savvy by reading the paper

Mon, 07/27/2009 1:59 PM  |  City

Bella Hutagalung, 42, a mother of two, finds it easier to motivate her children by showing them examples of children's achievement stories published in the Berani newspaper.

"The section on achievements can inspire children. That's what I like about the newspaper. But there is only one newspaper for children and I don't think that is enough," she told The Jakarta Post recently.

She said she decided to subscribe to the newspaper because her children had asked for it and their school had recommended it.

Reta, another parent, said the newspaper was good in terms of providing news and knowledge, but said she felt that it lacked fiction stories.

"I think children would like it better if it provided more fiction stories," she said.

Teacher and journalist Witdarmono started the newspaper for elementary and junior high school students in April 2006, aiming to develop children's interest and understanding of the media and the news.

Berani, which means brave, stands for the paper's slogan, Berita Anak Indonesia (news for Indonesian children), and is the first such publication in the country.

The 16-page newspaper contains articles on current issues, written in a style that is easy for children to understand.

In contrast to a wide array of options of children's magazines, Berani comes out everyday.

Witdarmono said he wanted to encourage children to adopt the habit of following current issues by reading a newspaper everyday.

Elisarigitsifa Margareth, 10, said she liked the news coverage of foreign countries, which made her dream of visiting faraway places.

Bella said it was getting easier for parents to find good reading material for their children nowadays, but she was concerned by the music and film industry in the country, which she believes does not focus on children enough.

"Indonesian films for children are made once a year. Other Indonesian movies are mostly from the horror genre. Meanwhile, current songs teach children nothing apart from falling in love, having an affair or relationship breakups," she said.

- JP/Indah Setiawati

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.