Clare Lynch, Donahies Community School, Dublin

If you're not a size 8, tall and thin, how do you feel when shopping for new clothes? Is it a bit embarrassing? "God," you gasp, "are my hips after getting this big? Do I look pregnant in this?" And: "Is my bum sticking out?"

If you're a girl aged 12-plus, that's usually how it feels. Most of my friends are sizes 10 to 12. I don't think this is big, so why do they always think they're not skinny enough? The blame goes straight back to the fashion setters and role models who are too thin to be seen. My pals look on their bodies and compare them to their own, then believe they need to exercise, diet and lose weight. This is absolutely mad! Why can't they use models who still have a lovely figure, but not raw skin hanging on bones.

Get some food down your guts, girls! As for me, I refuse to be influenced by their unnatural shapes. I'm happy as I am and that's the way I'll stay.

Laura Finlay, Sutton Park School, Dublin

Is the media above the law? Should the law protect the confidentiality of sources? Can the media be held accountable for obstructing a legal investigation?

These are questions raised by the planning tribunal recently. Undoubtedly the media must serve the public. If there are illegal or wrong things happening, they have a duty to inform us.

We cannot live in a democratic society and allow the government to dictate what is published. The confidentiality of sources has been recognised in the constitutions of other European countries. However, can we allow the media to be a vehicle for deliberately impeding the legal process?

There is a very fine line here, but one that must be drawn. The press must be allowed to publish information within reason. It cannot publish information with the sole purpose of impeding an investigation.

Write to media scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 11-16 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 email us at mediapage@irish-times.ie.

media scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools. Group rates and a special worksheet service are available: FREEPHONE 1-800-798884 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). media scope is edited by Harry Browne.

faxback:

Worksheets and other materials for media scope are available to teachers who place group orders through their schools. The worksheets are sent out to all subscribing schools via the automatic faxback system. This automatic system will re-try a busy line up to four times.

If you do not receive the faxback material by Wednesday morning and you have a touchtone fax machine, please use it to dial (01) 670 9709 and follow the recorded instructions; the material will be faxed automatically to your machine. If you have a pulse dialling machine, refer to your fax manual for details on how to set it for touchtone dialling. If you have problems, telephone (01) 679 2022, ext 568 or 580.