Young people today, from adolescence through university age, are commonly depicted in mainstream media as having nothing more on their minds than wreaking havoc. Print media, film, TV and even the Web feed us a steady diet of Spring Break-style havoc, including orgies, drunkenness, drugs and violence. The ubiquity of such representations might lead one to believe that teens in particular are dangerous and incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong, good or bad. That the cynicism and moral viciousness (is it real, or is it scripted?) of kids and young adults depicted on so many entertainment shows is proof positive that an earlier generation's values and idealism have been absconded with, locked up tight in the "reality" of news and entertainment. Indeed, in suburban retreat from the medieval city, the average citizen might be convinced consumerism and transgression maps the extent of young people's interests and desires — everyone wanting their 15 minutes, their million dollars, or more, and to hell with the rest.

Standing up to fight back against misperceptions and the bottom-line driven propaganda of so much mainstream negativity about youth aspirations and talents, are a number of MediaChannel affiliates who are working everyday to support youth by offering knowledge, skills and tools for youth to make their own print, television, film, radio, or Web-based media. Theirs is a media definitively more gritty, realistic, creative, generative, diverse, community-oriented and inspired, presenting their actual concerns, and their own critiques of the "adult" world of syndicated infotainment.

MediaChannel sent a questionnaire to seventeen affiliate organizations whose mission is to help youth make media. Happily, at an incredibly busy time of year and without the benefit of much heads-up time, eight affiliates responded, providing serious and thoughtful comment about their missions, their experiences working with young people, the resources they offer and their success in making a difference. A single question and response from each of our respondents appears on the main page, with a link to their complete statements. We've also provided brief descriptive statements and links to all of our affiliates working with youth and media.

— Andrew Levy, Affiliate Special Projects Producer

Browse the responses or read the questionnaire.

AS THE MEDIA WATCH THE WORLD, WE WATCH THE MEDIA.