The sixth edition of the Children’s Media Yearbook was launched on 3 July at the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield. Around 1,100 delegates gathered there from every part of children’s media industries including TV, audio, film, interactive media, games, publishing, licensing, theatre, museums and the culture sector, and educational media, plus associated academics. The book reflects this mix of fields all of which are associated with communicating with young people.

The publication is an annual snapshot of the issues around children’s media production and distribution, the good news stories of successes, and a celebration of the history and academic discussion of studies into the way children use media and the technology on which it is delivered. It’s also a really good read, whether you are a writer, producer, academic or broadcasting executive.

Key articles this year include a round-up of the policy questions currently being addressed by regulators such as Ofcom or the government as they investigate the children’s television market and the extent to which it may need further regulation, and consider exactly how the new Contestable Fund for Public Service Content will be structured to bring maximum benefit to UK producers of children’s content. There are similar reviews of the state of UK animation and how the various shocks that have hit social media platforms are now beginning to have impacts on the safety of children and teens – something long campaigned for by the Children’s Media Foundation (CMF).

The Foundation is a not-for-profit body that survives entirely on donations by individuals and supporting companies, and sales of the yearbook. The book is partly its annual mouthpiece as described above, but it goes further. It’s intended as a “publication of record”, something that captures a moment in time and over the years shows the progress, concerns, challenges and opportunities taken in the complex world of making and delivering content for children.

Stories which explore how to make your fans fall in love with your content (in a social media obsessed world), how the new voice-operated assistants are starting to have an impact on children, how LGBT issues are progressing in children’s media, how body image is an issue and how producers and puppets rub along together to make great TV, tell us something of the eclecticism of the book, and in its final chapters it celebrates the big brand birthdays of the year – The Beano, Blue Peter, Grange Hill and Paddington Bear.

The Yearbook can be bought online as a paperback at £10 + P&P, or downloaded as a PDF for £7.95 – both are available here.

If you would like to contribute to the 2019 Children’s Media Yearbook please contact Greg Childs, Director of CMF at director@thechildrensmediafoundation.org

ALCS in the writing community

This is the second year running that ALCS has supported the Children’s Media Yearbook, and is just one example of the ways we look to support organisations and charities connected with the writing community, as well as the work we do to support writers directly, both at home and abroad. The scope of this support can cover research, pro-copyright work, literacy programmes and teaching resources, writing awards, literary record keeping, and supporting equality within the writing community.