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What’s the Buzz?, will have a news anchor in a studio who will read the news headlines and introductions then cut to interviews that have a younger-approach coverage to that particular story. This is a show for children, by children so both the news anchor and the team of reporters are children between ages 12 and 18. Each bulletin will carry 4 news items (3 minutes each) with the last being a citizen journalist report entitled “What have you done today to make you feel proud” where we select the best story of the week about their peers.
The program also has a sign language interpreter/subtitles so that hearing impaired children are able to keep abreast with the news. This is a program with an easy approach to provide daily news around children, and how to cope with it.
This last week, the jurors were awed to learn that a tiny grain could have such an enormous impact on the environment and world. We were charmed by a singing giraffe that may just start a literacy revolution. We were deeply moved by the story of Nepalese girls who receive so little yet ask for just one thing – an equal education, and we were humbled by woman farmers who are working to end climate change.
But one program rose just a tiny bit above the others.
Using television and digital media, it will empower teenagers to become critical thinkers, fair story-tellers, and engaged global citizens. They’ll not only learn about the news; they’ll produce it. And in return, we may just see the next generation of educational media producers.
The winner of the 2009 Japan Prize proposal division is What’s the Buzz? from Swaziland.
Congratulations.
This is truly a dream come true for me, but more for the young people of Swaziland who have been given a voice.
What’s the Buzz? will see young boys and girls celebrating the achievements of their peers and staying abreast with the latest news developments. This program will see hundreds of young people contribute content that is relevant to them, that they feel is worth broadcasting and will have an impact on their peers.
What’s the Buzz? will give a voice to that voiceless majority who have been shifted to a somewhat minority position. I would like to thank NHK JAPAN PRIZE and the Hoso Bunka Foundation in particular for affording producers like myself the opportunity to develop products that will have a positive influence on our children.
This award couldn’t have come at a better time; when the media is inundated with horror stories that only instill fear and diminish hope in the hearts of young people. We want to promote content that will inform, educate, motivate and inspire model citizens and great leaders of tomorrow. Our youth are more than the sum of their fears.
On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of young people who will benefit from this content, I thank you!