Member of the Board of Directors of Mreža za mlade Crne Gore Snežana Nikčević, together with a representative of the agency DeFacto Consultancy, appeared on the show "Dobro jutro Podgorice," where they presented the findings of the national research "The Place of Youth in the Media."
The research, conducted by Mreža za mlade Crne Gore in cooperation with the agency DeFacto Consultancy, deals with the visibility, manner of representation, and participation of youth in the media in Montenegro. Content published on online portals, audience comments, and programs of television broadcasters with national coverage were analyzed.
During the appearance, it was emphasized that young people are not sufficiently represented in the media as guests, interlocutors, and relevant participants in public dialogue. Often, they are spoken about without their direct voice, while they are frequently excluded from decision-making processes that directly affect their position in society.
The findings also show that young people often appear in media content as passive objects of reporting, instead of as experts, activists, commentators, and protagonists of their own experiences. Particular attention was drawn to the practice of sometimes using young people as a kind of "decoration," without a real opportunity to express their views and participate in shaping content.
The research points to the need for greater and higher-quality representation of youth, opening media space for their perspectives, and establishing continuous cooperation between the media and the youth sector. The media have an important role in shaping the public image of young people, which is why it is necessary to recognize them as equal interlocutors and active participants in social processes.