Crianças em Risco Social nas Notícias: O Olhar da Imprensa Cabo‐Verdiana.

Abstract

The aim of this research is to understand how the Cape Verdean press have been addressing the issue of children in social risk, with the aim to know how the journalistic treatment of these issues (by contributing to formation of images, representations of items on the agenda) can influence – positively or negatively –  his inclusion in the public debate and, consequently, a social recognition that facilitate the conception/implementation of social policies that protect, promote the welfare of children. The object of study was the newspaper A Semana. We analyzed all the news of 2014 focused on children from 0 to 18 years associated with problems in the child's life or where their physical, mental and emotional development and well-being were put at risk. For the collection and systematization of data (later subjected to qualitative analysis), we elaborated a conceptual map centered on four dimensions: (i) characterization of children, (ii) classification of risks, (iii) information sources and (iv) journalistic discourse. The main results show that the Cape Verdean children at social risk is a recurring theme in the press, however, there is a private and individual treatment of the issues that affect them; the news frame follow a mere description of the facts, at the expense of exposing the situation and search for solutions. There are no variety of information sources or contrast of their viewpoints. The news discourse is not sensationalist, but isn’t committed to the premises of the CRC. We conclude that the inclusion of issues affecting the Cape Verdean children in the public debate does not favor a contextualized and insightful coverage of these issues and to promote their rights.