Very regularly on this newscast we tell you about cases where minors are either the victims or the alleged perpetrators of different types of crime.
If the minor is a victim of some heinous crime, such as sexual molestation, the press does not release information that could point to the identity of the child. Also, we don't name juvenile offenders unless and until they are criminally charged with an offense after the age of 18.
But, UNICEF thinks that the press can do more to protect kids. So, today, they held a training session with the different government agencies that are responsible for children, and who may have to address the media.
They are seeking to ensure that while the press will be responsible with information shared with them, the sources of that information will also be careful with the information it releases to the media in the first place. We stopped by the workshop and spoke with UNICEF's country rep. about this topic:
Dr. Susan Kasedde - Country Representative, UNICEF
"To communicate effectively today, we need to make sure that we as UNICEF are effective in our communication, but also that our partners are equally effective at communication. And so for, today and Saturday, our focus as UNICEF is to extend support from UNICEF with technical experts, facilitating a training on how to engage effectively with the media. So today, the focus is on training for UNICEF staff, as well as technical partners across different ministries, to make sure that we understand how to be more effective at engaging with the media."
"We have a duty to protect children and ensure that we do no harm through our communication to children. We have a duty to ensure that the info we share does not place children further in positions to be victimized or stigmatized."
"What the training is trying to help understand are the special considerations or things we need to keep in mind as we prepare to report on children, or as we engage with children in support of the stories that we prepare for dissemination through the media. So, for children, the key is to make sure that we do no harm to a child. So, as we prepare our stories, we're constant going to be asking the questions today and on Saturday, in the way that we're formulating the message, in the way we're using or not using the identity or identifying information about a child? Are we putting in place the appropriate safeguards to ensure that that child will not be harmed through our story, or through our engagement with the media? But also, are we making sure that our message is going to have the impact we desire?"
The training session continues this weekend where UNICEF will have similar discussions with members of the media.
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