The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged journalists to protect children’s identities and adopt solution-driven approaches when reporting issues affecting them.
UNICEF Child Rights experts made the call on Wednesday in Port Harcourt during a two-day training on ethical reporting of children.
The zonal workshop brought together editors, correspondents and other media practitioners from print and broadcast organizations across nine states.
The training sought to strengthen journalists’ understanding of ethical reporting while aligning media coverage with Nigeria’s legal obligations and the realities confronting children.
The experts warned that irresponsible reporting could expose children to stigma, trauma and other long-term psychological and social consequences.
In her keynote address, UNICEF Nigeria Communications Specialist, Ms Sussan Akila, urged journalists to put children’s dignity, safety and best interests at the center of their reports.
Akila particularly called for caution when covering cases involving child abuse, molestation and other forms of violence against children.
“Reports should be presented in a manner that justice can be done,” she said.
She warned that stigmatizing vulnerable children could deepen their difficulties and increase their exposure to harmful behaviors.
“A stigmatized child feels he has nothing to lose and, therefore, has a greater propensity to become an armed robber, bandit, or engage in other forms of criminality,” she said.
Dr Geoffrey Njoku, a media consultant, highlighted key provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Nigeria’s Child Rights Act, 2003.
Njoku said the law recognizes anyone below the age of 18 as a child and requires that the best interests of children remain paramount in decisions affecting them.
He added that the law prohibits the use of children in armed conflicts and protects them from exposure to drugs, pornography and degrading treatment.
Dr Jide Johnson of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism presented data from the 2022 Child Labour Survey, highlighting the extent of child vulnerability in Nigeria.
Johnson said 50.5 percent of children were engaged in economic activities, while 39.2 percent were involved in child labor.
He added that 22.9 percent of children were engaged in hazardous work, while nearly half of Nigerian children lived in income poverty.
Johnson further reported that newborn mortality stood at 41 deaths per 1,000 live births, underscoring the challenges surrounding child survival.
Speaking on balancing public interest with child protection, rights activist Lanre Idowu outlined children’s rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
Idowu also stressed the need for quality, inclusive and child-friendly education to promote children’s development and wellbeing.
The experts urged journalists to avoid revealing the identities of child victims and to obtain appropriate parental consent and children’s assent where necessary.
They also advised journalists to anonymize identifying details and focus on the underlying systemic problems rather than producing pity-driven reports.
According to the speakers, ethical reporting can protect vulnerable children while ensuring that serious issues affecting them remain in the public domain.
They noted that insecurity, poverty and stigma continue to expose Nigerian children to significant risks, stressing that the media has a critical role to play in addressing the challenges.
The experts said journalists could either worsen the burdens faced by vulnerable children or use responsible reporting to protect them and hold institutions accountable.
They therefore called for child-sensitive journalism that promotes justice, dignity and protection while highlighting practical solutions to issues affecting children.
source: NAN
