The Children’s Media Foundation (CMF)

Our Children’s Future: Does Public Service Media Matter?

Dr Jane O’Connor

Dr Jane O’Connor

Dr Jane O’Connor is a Reader in Childhood Studies at Birmingham City University where she co-leads the Cultures in Education research group. She is the author of 'The Cultural Significance of the Child Star' (Routledge, 2008) and co-editor of 'Childhood and Celebrity' (Routledge, 2017). Jane has published extensively in the areas of representations of childhood in the media and young children’s use of interactive digital technology. She is currently leading an international project exploring young children’s engagement with YouTube Kids. Jane teaches on the MA and EdD in the School of Education and supervises a wide range of PhD projects in the area of Childhood Studies.

Twitter: @JaneOConnor100


Find out more about Jane


Child-produced content and the simulation of childhood: what talking to children about YouTube Kids can teach us about the possibilities of Public Service Media

This article reports on the emerging findings of an on-going study investigating how 4–7 year old children in the UK watch and engage with YouTube Kids (YTK), and reflects on how these findings may be helpful in developing successful Public Service Media content for young children. I begin by setting out the concerns around children’s […]

Audience Experience Future Thinking Research

The Children’s Media Foundation (CMF)