Over to you

Are you interested in one week's work placement in The Irish Times? Transition Year students can learn first-hand about the workings of this newspaper if their submission is published in Media Scope's weekly Over to You column. Just send us a 200-word piece on a media-related topic.

Anne-Marie Ryan, St Angela's Secondary School, Ursuline Convent, Waterford.

Sometimes the media don't always do it right. Tear-jerking, raw photos and blatant, brutal images arouse sorrow, sympathy and empathy in their viewers. Pictures of Palestinian bloodshed and footage of a vicious lynch mob tend to stereotype these people as strong-minded and passionate about their beliefs. Of course they are, but a deeper look into the pictures, an examination of what lies between the lines, will reveal an easy-going, friendly people, whom I had the privilege of meeting in their precious homeland only last year.

Last October I visited Omagh and stayed with a friend, Victoria. The day after the atrocity of August 1998 she found herself in the leisure centre, headquarters of the bomb aftermath. While there she found herself being interviewed by an US journalist. In the middle of sharing her story with him, she suddenly broke down. One single tear caused a frenzy of photographers to scurry over to her, eager to capture an emotional scene for what would be an emotional audience.

Later that week at a memorial service in town she caught a photographer trying to take her photo through the smashed up screen of a crashed car - a perfect photo to go with the caption "Broken Dreams".

Such images will continue to entice viewers. But, quietly, they will continue to hurt those involved.

Louise Etchingham, Loreto College, Foxrock, Co Dublin.

Why is it that people believe that the richer areas of Dublin are safe havens? Are they drink or drugs free? I agree that their problems may not be as big as those in the inner city, but they are there just the same - they're just better hidden.

I know for a fact that if you scratch the surface, many people could tell a few stories of their own about drug use or misuse; perhaps they know or are related to a drug addict.

I know many parents know all there is to know about drugs and the like, but a surprising number of parents haven't got a clue. They wouldn't know the difference between pot and poppers and they are shocked and horrified if they find that their teenagers are involved with them. Just because their teens tried cannabis once, does that mean that they are drug addicts or on their way to becoming addicts? Of course not - that's ridiculous!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning drugs - but how can people know where to draw the line if they know nothing about them? I suppose some people would say that a line shouldn't have to be drawn, but that's unrealistic. Parents, don't stay ignorant: get out there and get reading!

Write to media scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 1116 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing them to (01) 679 2789. Be sure to include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school. Or you can use the Internet and e-mail us at mediapage@irishtimes.ie

media scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools.

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media scope is edited by Harry Browne.