OECS brings media practioners to discuss rights of children when reporting
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OECS brings media practioners to discuss rights of children when reporting |
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Contact: rokeiffe@oecs.org
Wednesday 25 May 2011 – Media Houses in the OECS have begun a series of discussions on raising the priority they give to children without compromising child protection rights and privileges.
At the first in a series of OECS Media workshops earlier this month, media workers in Saint Lucia were asked to consider ways of increasing the audience (readers) they attract when relating to issues on children at risk.
The Communications and Programming Coordinator at the Eastern Caribbean UNICEF Office Lisa Mc Clean-Trotman, hailed the opening leg in Saint Lucia as a timely intervention since the current global economic downturn can increase the risk of children's rights being violated.
“During times of economic recession children’s stories ; these soft news stories tend to go on the back burner , but it’s also important to recognize that these are also times when children become more vulnerable to exploitation as parents and providers become stressed, Also in terms of parents might perhaps use children to help better economic conditions so more than ever this is the time when you need to be more vigilant about child protection issues and also to report them and raise awareness about them as well as to give children, their parents and guardians a voice.”
During the series of seminars throughout the OECS, the media houses will be looking at issues such as interviewing children, investigating, reporting and writing stories about abused children, legal guidelines on reporting on children in need of special protection as well as the convention on the rights of the child.
Social Policy Officer at the OECS Secretariat Dwight Calixte, says participants at the Saint Lucia leg of the meeting agreed to ensure that the rights of children are protected when media productions go public.
“They recognized that in law they had to basically tow the line and there were certain aspects within law which did not allow them to report openly on any specific issues. Often it is believed that the public needs to know about certain things but the law makes it very clear that when it comes to children or any male or female under 16 years, there are certain things they just cannot report and that was made clear in a presentation from our legal officer.” The media workers agreed to collaborate with social workers and agencies that look after the protection of children by firstly understanding each other’s position to help ensure that the stories they produce are more accurate, balanced and that the best interest of the child is always considered. |
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