Directed by
André H. Caron
Département de communication de l’Université de Montréal
Letizia Caronia
Département des sciences de l’éducation de l’Université de Bologne
Jennie Hwang
Département de communication de California Polytechnic State University
Description :
The Alliance for Children and Television (ACT) will be conducting the largest study to date on Canadian youth programming, with an eye to better understanding the media’s impact on our young people. This groundbreaking national study will be led by the Université de Montréal communications department’s Centre for Youth and Media Studies, under the supervision of Dr. André H. Caron, Ed. D.
This initiative is generously supported by CTVglobemedia (CTVgm), through the CTVgm/CHUM tangible benefits.
“This two‐phase analysis will not only cover the traditional key components of children’s programming, such as context, characters and actions, but also more recent societal issues like ecology and the environment,” says ACT Executive Director Caroline Fortier. “It will also touch on the growing importance of children’s programming being developed for new delivery platforms.”
Phase 1: Children’s television, a representation of diversity
The study’s initial phase will analyze the content of Canadian children’s programming in major television markets across the country. The selected shows will be the ones that are most popular with children and that reflect the variety of television offerings, while differentiating between public and private networks.
The research team will analyze a representative sample from more than 1000 hours of programming aired throughout Canada in spring 2009. Indicators will include formal variables such as age and gender representation in children’s programming, as well as the presence of foreign cultures and languages. This data will later be compared with the results of a larger study conducted by the Munich based International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television (IZI). This research entitled Children’s Television Worldwide: Gender Representation, included such countries as Germany, Australia, China, the UK, Israel, India, Japan, South Africa and the US.“
Partenaires de recherche et financement :
L’Alliance pour l’enfant et la télévision
CTVglobemedia-CHUM