The theme of this year's Dyslexia Awareness Week (Oct 5-11) was 'Making Sense of Dyslexia'

To mark the event CBBC published a YouTube video with answers to common questions about the condition. Henry Winkler, author of the Hank Zipzer books, stresses that if you have a learning challenge, it's nothing to do with intelligence. He says just because we are not good in school does not mean that we are not smart human beings.


Henry Winkler talks about dyslexia - CBBC Hank Zipzer

An excellent report about gay rights in Uganda on Newsround this afternoon (1.50pm bulletin) -

Ricky Boleto: Next - what rights gay people should have is a big issue around the world, particularly in Africa. In the African country of Uganda, gay people have been holding rallies to try to change the law.

Ricky reports on gay rights in Africa

Ricky: Hundreds of people waved the Ugandan national flag and Rainbow banners. They danced and sang. They say they're fighting for more freedom to admit you're gay across Africa. It's against the law to be openly gay in Uganda and in many other African countries. But there have been some changes recently. Up until last year gay people could be sentenced to life in jail. Now that can't happen any more, and the demonstrators think African governments should be more understanding. They say they want equal human rights for gay people.

Moses Kimbugwe (gay rights supporter): Violence, discrimination, harassment and stigma against all LGBT people is bad. So we are here to send a message to the wider population that we do exist and we do want rights like any other Ugandan.

Ricky: The demonstrators say they're proud to be gay and they want society to respect them. In Africa many people hold traditional beliefs and do not approve of gay people. Some African leaders have said it's not part of their culture. But a few weeks ago President Obama visited East Africa and gave his support for equal rights. The gay rights demonstrators are hoping that President Obama's words and today's marches will begin to change people's minds.

Yesterday, most news channels, including BBC news, devoted tonnes of time to reporting the same-sex marriage referendum count in Ireland - and rightly so. The large majority voting 'Yes' is a hugely significant result, not only for Ireland, but also for gay people around the world, who have been treated as second-class citizens for way too long. Most of the coverage was good and reflected modern-day thinking on the need to treat all people fairly, without discrimination.

TV producers have traditionally sought to include minorities such BAME and disabled people, though virtually no current children's series portray lesbian or gay characters. Hopefully the outcome of the Irish referendum will help to drive things forward.

Making factual programmes inclusive presents more of a challenge than making dramas. The ideal answer is simply to look out for opportunities to report stories, issues and facts relevant to diverse families and children.

Newsround did report the same-sex marriage referendum today. They could have improved their reports by mentioning that many thousands of young people, both gay and straight, returned to Ireland from abroad just in order to vote for equal rights - #HomeToVote

Ayshah Tull reports on the same-sex marriage referendum
Newsround reports at 10.05am ... 12.05pm

Harriet's Army

This excellent CBBC mini-series continued the theme of last Monday's special Newsround programme about how World War 1 changed attitudes to women (see previous blog). Below is a synopsis of the story, with spoilers.

(Spoiler alert)

Harriet Grange lives with her dad and brothers Edward and Sam. Harriet, a feisty girl, is forced to leave the Girl Guides after fighting with some boys. War is declared and most of the local men are anxious to sign up. Edward is too young to join, but is pleased that the government has agreed to allow Scouts and Girl Guides to act as a second line of defence. Harriet, although kicked out of the Girl Guides, still wants to help the war effort.

The Brown family moved to the town two months earlier and people start to gossip when neighbours discover that the Mrs Brown's daughter is living in Germany and is married to a German. A lot of hostility gets directed towards the Brown family.

Harriet's young brother, Sam, gets his foot trapped between railway points, but is rescued by Thomas Brown just before a train passes. Thomas and Harriet gradually get to know each other better and Harriet realises Thomas and his family are being treated unfairly. Harriet enthusiastically adopts Thomas's suggestion of starting her own vigilante kids' army, and goes out in the streets to recruit volunteers.

Thomas's autistic younger brother, Lewis, is bullied by the other kids, but Harriet rebukes them for their cowardly behaviour. Life becomes intolerable for the Browns, so Harriet and her best friend, Violet Croft, help them to escape to a secret hideout in the countryside. Harriet's older brother, Edward, still doesn't trust the Browns, and is really angry when he finds out that she's helped them escape. He tells her she's helped the enemy - it's treason. She convinces Edward that he's wrong about the Browns.

It's April 1915, and Mrs Brown has gone to Whitby looking for work, leaving Thomas and Lewis in the hideout. Harriet and her 'army' have kept the two brothers supplied with food purloined from the allotments.

Lewis has noticed flashing lights in the distance, which he believes represent numbers. Harriet tells Edward she thinks the lights are coded spy messages.

Violet receives a letter from brother, Stephen, describing the unpleasant conditions on the front line. She's been knitting him a pair of wooly socks.

Harriet persuades her volunteer army to help track down the spies. They will need to triangulate the light source in order to determine its precise location.

Violet is devastated to hear that Stephen was killed when the ship he was returning on was sunk with the loss of all on board. But in the course of the search for spies it turns out that Stephen did return safely to Britain on a cargo boat, and was living in the woods, stealing supplies in order to survive. Stephen tells Harriet that every one of his mates had been killed on the front lines and, as the sole survivor, he'd been too ashamed to go back to his family.

Harriet realises that her army still need to find out who's responsible for the light signals. Edward, meanwhile, has discovered a piece of paper with Lewis's decoded numbers. It dawns on him that the numbers match the dates on which British ships were torpedoed. Edward is quick to conclude that Thomas Brown is spying for the Germans, but when confronted with evidence, he's persuaded that his suspicions were unfounded.

The signals are tracked to some old ruins, and Harriet's army catch the harbourmaster red-handed, signaling messages to U-Boats out at sea. British army soldiers arrive at the scene in time to apprehend the culprit. That evening Mr Grange tells his family how proud he is of them. Harriet was, in some ways, a reminder of his late wife.

The series ends on a romantic note with Harriet and Thomas walking hand in hand through the woods.

The Commonwealth Games are about to start in Glasgow, the home town of Newsround reporter and disability rights campaigner, Martin Dougan.

Martin's report this morning explained what the Commonwealth is supposed to be about.

Martin: .. Many years ago Britain controlled lots of countries as part of something called the British Empire. Although these countries are now independent, they have chosen to become part of the Commonwealth. It's a group of countries across the world which signs up to a set of values including democracy, law and human rights. ..




Martin fails to tell kids that many of those countries breach the human rights of LGBT people.

This morning's 8.55am bulletin also included Martin reporting live from Glasgow. I suspect he would be less enthusiastic about these Games if some of those Commonwealth countries routinely imprisoned disabled people. But then CBBC, like so many Commonwealth countries, seems to have little time for the equal rights of LGBT people.

Newsround Blog regulars may recall that, in March 2012 on The Big Questions, Michael Johnson disturbingly appeared to condone homophobia while rightly being vocal in condemning racism. He drew attention to the way racism had affected his seven year old son, who had been called names at school. I suggested that BBC programmes aimed at young people mirror Mr Johnson's stance towards diversity.

Mr Johnson was appointed to the Football Association's Inclusion Advisory Board in December 2013, but it seems the FA were unaware of his previously stated views. Concerns over his appointment appeared in The Guardian and other newspapers and media outlets last week.

The BBC chose not to report the furore, but it has now reported Michael Johnson's decision to step down from the FA's Inclusion Board.

Mr Johnson has said that he no longer holds the homophobic views expressed back in March 2012

The main Newsround story today related to Greg Dyke's comment about the World Cup in Qatar. It would be much too hot in the summer, said Mr Dyke. Of course that sporting competition isn't taking place for another nine years.

But the Winter Olympics, due to take place in Sochi, Russia in only six months, has been another big talking point recently - especially so after Stephen Fry called for a the event to take place in another country where LGBT human rights are respected.

It hardly needs to be said that Newsround has completely avoided reporting the latter controversy. You could easily conclude - rightly or wrongly - that the people who decide what news items British kids see on TV are sympathetic to the aims of those who drafted the anti-gay laws in Russia.

It's Anti Bullying Week, and the first Newsround bulletin yesterday morning began with findings of a survey that kids often pretend to be no good at some subjects or activities to avoid the bullies. The topic was covered in more detail at 5pm

The second story yesterday morning was about religion -

Ricky: A big meeting starts today to decide whether to allow women to become bishops in the Church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and this man who'll replace him in January, the Right Reverend Justin Welby both believe women should be allowed to become bishops. But it's thought the vote tomorrow will be very close indeed.

The same issue was the lead in all three Newsround bulletins this morning. The first bulletin also included a vicar talking about the issue. (7.40am CBBC) -

Ore: People in charge of the Church of England will vote today to decide whether to allow women to become bishops. There'll be a big debate today followed by the vote, but many in the church disagree over the issue. It's 20 years since women were allowed to become priests, and some say there's no reason they shouldn't be able to take the next step up.

Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin: We've got a lot of women, young women, growing up in the church. The message we're giving to them is: we only want you to clean the sanctuary, prepare the altar, put the flowers on, make the tea, clean the church - but that's all you're good for. That is an unacceptable message.

Newsround also mentioned the issue of women bishops when Rowan Williams was enthroned back in 2003. More recently there was this report from July 2012, and again a brief mention when Justin Welby was appointed.

Newsround's report of the John Terry trial outcome misled their intended audience.

According to a live report on Friday afternoon, John Terry had told the court that he was only repeating words that he thought he had already heard, and the judge agreed. The Chief Magistrate acquitted, but not because he thought Terry was telling the truth - he didn't. In fact the magistrate, Howard Riddle, said that "Mr Terry's explanation is, certainly under the cold light of forensic examination, unlikely." Mr Riddle also concurred with the prosecution that Anton Ferdinand had been "brave" to give evidence.

This legal case has highlighted the issue of racism in football. Anton's brother, Rio Ferdinand, has been in the forefront of the fight against racism and bullying, though he has been accused of prejudice himself. Some years ago Rio used a homophobic word on Radio 1, and more recently he's been criticised by some for endorsing a race-related term about Ashley Cole - a defence witness in the John Terry trial.

Footballers are often seen as role models. Perhaps they would deserve this accolade more if they stood together to condemn all prejudice-based language, including homophobic language. Had football players like Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham been willing to speak out, it's unlikely this unfortunate case would have arisen.

BBC School Report

A great deal of hard work was put in by schools from around Britain.

How many of the participants in BBC School Report have considered the extent to which journalism actually affects attitudes? Who was making the editorial decisions in the two hour live web stream which went out from 2-4pm?

Newsround at 3.45pm yesterday began like this: "Hi guys. It's Ore here with everything you need to know this afternoon. Now it's our job on Newsround to tell you the stories that matter to you ...."

The programme went on to include three items. Firstly the BBC School Report, which was already underway on the web. Next there was a story about boyband One Direction, who are making it big in the American charts right now. And the last story was about the British Animation Awards:-

Ore: "And finally Peppa Pig, Postman Pat and Shaun the Sheep and these guys Wallace & Gromit will be dusting off their bow tie for the big British Animation Awards taking place tonight. Up for grabs is the best cartoon character of all time award ..."

The flagship 5pm bulletin on BBC One yesterday reported the following 7 stories -

1} Row about cruelty involved in horse racing

2} Refugees fleeing violence in Syria

3} BBC School Report

4} St Asaph has new status as a City

5} Prince Harry interview on the Jubilee celebrations

6} British Animation Awards

7} One Direction

So those were yesterday's stories which, as Ore said earlier, matter to Newsround's viewers.

As you can see, there wasn't a word to say about the big human rights story of the day - plans to end marriage discrimination against lesbian and gay couples. Isn't it just possible that a story about gay equality might be relevant to quite a lot of Newsround's audience and/or their families?

Religion, on the other hand, is treated as something quite suitable for kids. And today's announcement by the Archbishop of Canterbury was the lead story on Newsround at 3.20pm and 4.25pm today. In the 3.20pm report Nel told viewers that Rowan Williams is "the most senior person in charge of the Church of England, apart from the Queen and God of course."

With kids' TV happy to report on faith news, whilst the same time maintaining its anti-gay censorship policy, is it any wonder that homophobic attitudes are prevalent in Britain's primary schools?