What is the role of the media in protecting children?

1. Working with the Media
for the Protection of
Children

2. Child Protection is…
 Public education/awareness  National Development
Issue
 Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism
 Focus on children and
 Budgetary Allocation for impact of programmes invest in them improve
productivity of Nation and
change future landscape.
 Interventions to reduce vulnerabilities across life
span  Children are agents of
change and best option for
 Legal and policy reform to realize CRC at National reducing poverty and
level changing mindsets.
 Children Participation
 Enabling environment to allow full realization of
rights

3. A “Protection” System

4. The National Plan of Action
 Bi-Partisan Support
 Six attention areas to focus
on as priority
 Strategies and Targets to
achieve CRC for Belizean
children and families
 Plan carried out by
implementers and
monitored by NCFC

5. How can the
Media help?
Change agents
Be ethical and rights aware
Advocate for children
Provide children with information
Show success stories

6. The Media Role (Journalists)
Advocacy Channels for Public Dialogue
 What type (length, angle,
 How do you aid the cause follow-up) of coverage do
given the reach and influence you give to children’s issues?
of your particular media  How do you help the
house? populace to understand the
implications of the issue at
hand?
 Do you do research to
identify the critical issues and
frame the story in a
informative and thought
provoking way?

7. The Media Role (Journalists)
 Reporting on children and young
people has its special challenges
 Need to maintain a balance between
informing for the public interest and
the child’s rights to privacy.
 Need an agreed code that is
regulated
 Provides benchmark for media
coverage that considers the best
interest of the child ( age appropriate
and sensitive)

8. The Consequences of
Irresponsible Reporting
Distress
Negative stereotypes
Reprisals
Stigmatization

9. Guiding Principles
Respect the dignity of rights of every When trying to determine the best
child! interests of a child, the child’s right to have
her or his views taken into account are to
 In interviewing and reporting on be given due weight in accordance with the
children, special attention is to be paid to child’s age and maturity.
each child’s right to privacy and
confidentiality, to have their opinions Those closest to the child’s situation and
heard, to participate in decisions affecting best able to assess it are to be consulted
them and to be protected from harm and about the political, social and cultural
retribution, including the potential for ramifications of any reportage.
harm and retribution.
Do not publish a story or an image
The best interests of each child are to which might put the child, siblings or peers
be protected over any other consideration, at risk even when identities are changed,
including over advocacy for children’s obscured or not used.
issues and the promotion of child rights.

10. Media Guidelines – Children in
Incidents
 In any case where a child is involved in incidents, the reporting of which is deemed to be in the
public interest, the child’s identity is to be protected where public knowledge of such identity
may have adverse effects on the child.
 Journalists must not interview or photograph a child under the age of 18 on topics involving the
welfare of the child or any other child in the absence of or without the consent of a parent or
guardian.
 Fair, open and straightforward methods for obtaining information from or pictures of children
should be used in all cases or reporting, whether such reporting will have adverse or positive
effects on the child. In cases of schoolchildren or children involved in organizations, such
children must not be approached or photographed while at school or at the organization
without the permission of the school or relevant authorities.
 Where children provide information, independent verification of such information should be
ensured, and special care taken to ensure that such verification takes place without putting child
informants at risk .

11. Media Guidelines – Children in
Abuse Cases
I. The child must not be identified, whether IV. Care must be taken that nothing in
through words, images or other the report identifies relatives or
information such as street address or friends of the abused child that
identification of relatives. The child’s life would then lead to the
and/or mental stability could be put at risk. identification of the child.
I. In cases of sexual abuse involving incest, IV. Hence, accused abusers may be
the word “incest” must not be used identified given that the journalist
where a child victim might be identified. ensures that nothing in his or her
wording, or interviews with
relatives or friends of the accused
II. Care must be taken that nothing in the abuser, lead to the identification of
report implies the relationship between the child.
the accused and the child.

12. Other Considerations
How can we create the
environment for local children’s
programming to be developed?
How can we open more
opportunities for children to get
involved in the media?
How can our approach to reporting
information allow for children to
be informed as well?

13. Before I leave…