The „quality question“ was asked by Sherri Hope Culver, Director of the Center for Media and Information Literacy at Temple University, USA and she condensed answers and recommendations into 28 pages in the publication THE QUALITY QUESTION: Why Children’s Media Must Aim High. Recommendations for global children’s media leaders. She interviewed more than eighty producers, writers, directors, media development executives, researchers, and CEO’s responsible for creating media content for children and youth. She posed the question to parents, educators, and kids and spoke to people in the United States, Brazil, England, Australia, Greece, and Canada.
After synthesizing the interviews and coding for common words and concepts, a list of fifteen globally relevant guidelines emerged, connected to the core categories:
1. Lead with play and playfulness.
2. Reflect real kids today.
3. Center children’s voices.
4. Support cultural identity.
5. Cultivate an appreciation for diversity and difference.
6. Encourage curiosity and an open learning mind.
7. Convey empathy for others.
8. Reveal that challenges happen, but perseverance builds resilience.
9. Engage senses emotionally, socially, and developmentally.
10. Let it be a little gritty, a little naughty.
11. Resonate with children’s lived experiences.
12. Acknowledge health and wellness concerns.
13. Strengthen critical thinking to encourage media literacy.
14. Invite caring adults to participate.
15. Offer a hopeful ethos.
Introduced by Margret Albers