Public Agenda (Accra)
Ama Achiaa Amankwah
17 November 2008
Journalists and media practitioners often face challenges in covering children and their rights. They are required to protect children and enhance their rights, but not in any way damage their freedom of expression.
Mr. Iddris Abdallah of UNICEF said any journalistic activity that touches on the lives and welfare on children should always be carried out with appreciation of the vulnerable situation of children.
He stressed that the dignity and rights of children are to be respected in every circumstance.
"As journalists, you must never put in jeopardy the safety and dignity of children. You should regard the violation of the rights of children and issues related to their safety, privacy, education, health and social welfare, and all forms of exploitation as important questions for investigations and public debate."
During an interaction with the media on ethical reporting on child protection issues in Accra, Mr. Abdallah cited stigmatization and reprisal as some of the potential dangers associated with unethical reporting of child protection issues.
"The more the journalist reveals details about where a child lives or about family members, the greater the risk the child could face. The victim could end up feeling severely depressed."
Referring to the UNICEF ethical guidelines for reporting on children, Mr. Abdallah stated the name of the child should always be changed and the visual identity of any child who is identified as a victim of sexual abuse or exploitation should be obscure.
He added that in circumstances of risk or potential risk of harm or retribution, the name of the child must be changed and the visual identity of any child who is identified as a current or former child combatant, an asylum seeker, a refugee or an internally displaced person.
"Do not further stigmatize any child; avoid categorizations or descriptions that expose a child to negative reprisals, including additional physical or psychological harm, or lifelong abuse, discrimination or rejection by their local communities."
According to him, even in cases where using a child's identity is in the child's best interest, he/she must still be protected against harm and supported through any stigmatization or reprisals.
The Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Mrs. Margaret Kutso Atsi said that although there are good laws and policies on protecting children's rights, implementation poses a challenge.
She urged journalists to recognize themselves as partners in child rights advocacy. "We must all join hands to educate people on the responsibility that go with the rights of the child."
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) guidelines and principles for reporting on issues involving children states that journalists and media organisations shall strive to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct in reporting children's affairs and, in particular, they shall :
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Public Agenda. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
