UNIS/INF/9
4 May 2004
UN Spotlights Top 10 Issues that Should Garner More Media Coverage
VIENNA 4 May 2004 (UN Information Service) -- In order to highlight some of the most important international issues and developments that often remain neglected by the media, the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) has presented a new initiative -- "Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About."
This list is a response to the fact that the issues -- which include a number of humanitarian emergencies, as well as conflict or post-conflict situations and other matters of concern to the United Nations -- often do not get enough coverage or are treated as secondary issues.
The list presents a snapshot of the most compelling stories that, at this point in time, DPI believes are in need of more media attention. It is difficult to establish the precedence of one over the other, as all the issues mentioned in the list need to be highlighted in the media.
The "Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About" cover a range as diverse as the plight of child soldiers in Uganda, who are emerging as central figures amid deadly violence and a growing humanitarian emergency; the crisis of children orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa; women as peacemakers: from victims to re-builders of society; and, over-fishing as a threat to marine biodiversity.
The list was announced at UN Headquarters in New York by Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, on the eve of the World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, as an initiative aimed at urging the media to cover these critical issues.
The stories are accompanied by contact information for UN Focal Points, in order to facilitate and assist journalists.
To read the 10 stories please go to
http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/
or
