By Egufe Yafugborhi & Peter Duru
PORT HARCOURT — The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has urged Nigerian journalists to protect the dignity, privacy and safety of children in news reports, warning that careless reporting could expose vulnerable children to stigma, discrimination and further trauma.
The charge was given at a three-day UNICEF Zonal Workshop on Ethical Reporting of Children, ongoing in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in partnership with the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State, BCA.
Delivering a keynote address titled “Why Ethical Reporting of Children Matters in Nigeria,” the Chief Field Officer, Enugu Field Office, UNICEF, Juliet Chiluwe, said journalists were “not merely observers of society” but “shapers of society.”
She said the responsibility of journalists became even greater when reporting stories involving children, stressing that a child featured in the media “is not simply a subject for a story.”
“That child is a person with dignity, rights, aspirations, and a future,” Chiluwe said.
She warned that irresponsible reporting could cause lasting harm, noting that a careless headline could stigmatise a child, while an inappropriate photograph could expose a child to discrimination.
“An unnecessary disclosure of identity can follow a child for years.
“Ethical reporting must never be treated as an option or an extra add-on to good journalism,” she said.
Chiluwe urged journalists to consider the best interests of children before publishing stories involving them.
She advised journalists to ask themselves: “Is it in the child’s best interest to tell the story in this way? Would this reporting expose the child to more risks? Does this story protect the child’s dignity?”
On digital journalism, she noted that photographs and information published online could remain accessible indefinitely.
“A photograph uploaded today can remain online indefinitely, while a child’s name can remain searchable for years,” she said.
Chiluwe therefore stressed the need for journalists to pay particular attention to consent, privacy, identity and digital safety when reporting children affected by violence, abuse, exploitation, displacement or legal proceedings.
“The core principle must be simple: When in doubt, protect the child,” she stressed.
Welcoming participants, the Director-General of BCA, Francis Nwubani, represented by the Director, News and Current Affairs, Egbu Blessing, said the corporation remained committed to using the media to advance the rights, protection and well-being of children.
Nwubani said children were among the most vulnerable members of society and deserved protection of their dignity, privacy, safety and fundamental rights.
He described ethical reporting as both a professional requirement and a moral obligation.
“The way we report on a child who is a victim of violence, abuse, exploitation, conflict, displacement, poverty, or other forms of vulnerability can either contribute to the child’s protection and recovery or, inadvertently, deepen their trauma,” he said.
He urged journalists to consider the possible consequences of their reports before publication, asking: “Will this report harm or endanger the child? Does the story respect the child’s dignity and privacy? Are we reporting in the best interest of the child?”
Also speaking, Temitope, Assistant Director and Head of the Child Rights Information Bureau, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, said the ethical framework for reporting children was anchored on the Child Rights Act and other relevant international conventions.
He urged journalists to identify and mitigate risks associated with reporting on children to ensure their safety, privacy and protection of dignity.
Temitope also called for responsible reporting of child abuse, exploitation, deprivation of healthcare and conflict.
The workshop brought together journalists from Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Rivers, Cross River, Benue and Delta states, with participants expected to return to their newsrooms as advocates of ethical, child-sensitive and rights-based journalism.
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