El Television Observatory (OTV) of the Faculty of Communication of the Universidad Austral presented the annual report “Childhoods in the Media 2025”, developed within the framework of the collaboration agreement with UNICEF Argentina, which analyzes the treatment of girls, boys and adolescents in the open television news programs of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. 

The survey examined 10.963 news broadcast during 2025, with a total duration of 770 hours of transmission. Of that total, 1.024 news items (9,34%) addressed topics related to childhood and adolescence. Among the main findings, the study identified that 38,77% of the news items about children and adolescents were associated with crime and insecurity, while 20,55% referred to acts of violence. 

Next, an interview with Gabriela Fabbro, coordinator of the report at the head of the OTV Austral (authoring team) on the monitoring results. 

— What is the main finding of the report?   

— We reaffirm the findings of previous OTV investigations (the first was in 2010 in collaboration with the NGO Periodismo Social) which demonstrate the limited visibility of news stories about children and adolescents in our news programs. According to the latest census in 2022, 27% of the population in Argentina is under 18 years old; therefore, they represent almost a third of our total population, yet they are rarely featured in the news. 

—What general trends were observed? 

—The most prevalent trends were that these news stories are associated with topics of violence (in all its manifestations) as a major topic, with subtopics such as insecurity and police. Furthermore, there is a more noticeable sensationalism in the way news is presented, with a great lack of context: practically no statistics or specific legislation and almost no regulatory framework, etc.  

It was also evident in each two-month period analyzed that children and adolescents are the protagonists of shocking cases that dominate the airwaves. Throughout the day, with mobile units on the scene, each shocking news story involving children and adolescents is presented almost continuously. These are issues that obviously meet newsworthy criteria but disrupt the routine and shake up daily life. Therefore, feature stories and live reports are the two journalistic genres that had the greatest presence on screen. 

—¿What influence could the current representation have on audience perception? 

—The prevalence of these themes leads the audience to construct an image of children and adolescents as individuals associated with crime, in most cases as instigators and in others as victims. In other words, in both situations, children and adolescents are vulnerable and unprotected.  

The report highlights that, within the police and insecurity category, almost 90% of the news analyzed presents children and adolescents as victims or involved in criminal or delinquent situations.

—What do you observe about security cameras and cell phones as privileged sources of audiovisual information? 

—This is one of the most noticeable changes in the findings. Today, cell phones are sources of information, especially through photos and videos captured by mobile phones (in addition to social media messages). This material often circulates out of context, without proper verification, and with a strong emotional charge. Security cameras have also gained unexpected prominence in the news. The climate of insecurity has led to the proliferation of these cameras, both public and private, and they have become sources for the events reported. The excessive (repetitive, looped) use of images from these cameras in news presentations leads to a more sensationalized narrative. 

"It is noteworthy that the voice of children and adolescents is practically absent from news stories involving them; only 2,13% feature them."

 

—What thematic gaps and resulting opportunities did you find when narrating cases involving childhood and youth? 

—The absence of 'good news' or 'exemplary' stories featuring children and adolescents is noticeable; more than once, these stories are included as filler and are not given the time and depth they require. They are practically used as 'colorful touches' in each edition in which they appear. There is little development of health issues related to childhood and adolescence (minimal coverage of teenage pregnancy or mental health in this age group), and the presence of media personalities who, due to personal conflicts, bring visibility to their affected children has increased. 

—What changes could the media incorporate to improve the quality of their news coverage? 

—The goal is to strengthen journalism with a rights-based approach, a plurality of sources, and a contextual perspective. A plurality of sources in constructing a news story guarantees more rigorous and higher-quality reporting. Incorporating multiple voices allows for broader perspectives on the same event and a more complex understanding of the issues addressed. Adding contextual information to news stories is an essential tool for quality journalism. This type of framing allows for an understanding of events beyond the specific incident, relating them to broader and more complex legal frameworks, public policies, or social processes. One objective of this monitoring is to provide the audience with more tools for interpreting news about children and adolescents, and to encourage communication professionals to offer committed work that fosters a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by children and young people in Argentina. 

Access the full report by entering here.