ABSTRACT
If we want to bring about signifi cant changes for the greater social good, it is essential to engage multiple partners in the conversation, including media professionals, artists, youth advocates, policymakers, and educators. Some of the most applied, interesting, and cutting-edge projects relating to children and media are happening outside of academe. Yet, there are very few attempts by youth and media scholars to go outside the ivory tower to engage with other sectors such as nonprofi ts, the media industry, and government. Misperceptions and mutual distrust because of diff ering timelines, values, and priorities are further fueled by the lack of opportunities to converse (Lemish, 2014 ). Children’s festivals such as Prix Jeunesse, Media Rise, and the World Summit on Media for Children recognize the need for “global exchange, local empowerment, and children’s participation, encouraging dialogue between policy-makers, television producers, researchers, and children themselves” (A Guide to International Events in Children’s Media’s, 2007 , p. 93). In this essay, we gather scholars and activists from around the world in a “conversation café” to discuss the past, present, and future of children and media.
