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After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Youth OUTLOUD!

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Youth OUTLOUD! is a U.S.-based youth media co-operative created to be a resource for the mainstream media to access and share real news and stories about youth for use in their media outlets. Youth OUTLOUD! provides stories for every section of the newspaper and aims to be a source of all topics of interest to youth today.
Communication Strategies
The news service aims to educate the general public about issues of importance to children and youth, and offer youth (ages 25 and under) a voice in mainstream media. Modeled after a syndicated news service, Youth OUTLOUD! plans to offer weekly youth-generated print stories, television packages and radio programming.

Youth OUTLOUD!strategies include the following:
  • To develop reliable sources of youth-produced media, Youth OUTLOUD! works with existing youth media organisations to ensure a steady flow of compelling, youth-generated materials.
  • Individual youth reporters work with Youth OUTLOUD! editors to tell the stories of real life in their communities as it happens. These youth reporters are in countries throughout the world and provide timely perspectives of major events and insight into today's issues facing young people.
  • Through a variety of sources, Youth OUTLOUD! seeks donations, gifts and partnerships from organisations with common goals, and aims to work in an efficient manner as to keep overhead low.
Media organisations join as members, which allow them to submit and secure stories on a variety of topics from the co-op. This exchange is designed to provide the best stories available worldwide from youth, including breaking news, topical features and global perspectives on issues and events. In addition, the members are part of a revenue sharing programme that is designed to further support the development and expansion of youth media worldwide.

All stories used by Youth OUTLOUD! reflect the viewpoints of youth (ages 13 - 25). Preference will be made to stories authored by youth, and told in first-person. These personal accounts can be edited by an adult to insure accuracy and adherence to the editorial guidelines. Youth from around the world are invited to write about their lives: what their daily life is like, what they fear and their dreams of the future. Several of these stories can culminate in an in-depth, global perspective on a particular issue.
Development Issues
Youth.
Key Points
According to the project website, mainstream media has seen its audience move away from youth involvement. Research has been conducted worldwide, and the resulting consensus is that the media needs to be relevant and inclusive of youth voices in a variety of topics.
Partners

In order to reflect stories and experiences that are important to youth, Youth OUTLOUD! is made up of a network of youth, media and organisations that share stories by youth for distribution in the mainstream media.

Sources

Young People's Media Network, June 9 2005; Youth OUTLOUD!website, March 14 2006; and email from Sherry Sacino to The Communication Initiative on May 10 2007.