Media role in promoting children’s rights

April 26, 2023 21 Views No Comment

One-day workshop on ‘Media voices for children’ organised in Dimapur

Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 26

Protection of a child’s privacy from undue exposure in the public realm, duty of a media as a promoter of children’s rights and creating a safe environment for them in an ever increasing social media-centric world were a few of the points highlighted during the one day workshop on ‘Media Voices for Children’ at Don Bosco, Dimapur on April 25.

The event organised by ANMA Integrated Development Association (AIDA) and Child Friendly Dimapur (CDF), aimed to bring attention on the role of media organisations in protecting and promoting children’s rights in Nagaland.

Representatives from a number of established media houses of the state- both print and electronic, were participants of the workshop.

As a guest speaker, Yanbemo Ngullie, panel lawyer, Dimapur District Legal Services Authority (DDLSA) spoke on the ‘Right to Information: Child rights’ and ‘Promoting children’s rights through media.’ He noted that with the media being regarded as the ‘Fourth pillar of democracy,’ it has the power and influence to sway public opinion on any given issue. In regard to children, he stated as they were among the most vulnerable groups in the society, the media plays a crucial role in educating and enlightening people about their guaranteed rights.

At the same time however, rather than fostering and promoting matters concerned with children, they instead focus on sensationalising negative stories to garner attention from the people, he viewed. When it comes to crime related stories involving children, he stressed on the need to protect their privacy and dignity as minors, he added. “A careful balance is always to be maintained when it comes to privacy of a child,” he said.

These include withholding the name and identity of a child in the public domain and removing any information which might expose them as guaranteed in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. In the Press Council of India (PCI) Act 1978 relating to norms of journalistic conduct, it mentions that in case of any crime related to rape, abduction or kidnap of woman, sexual assault of children, the names and photographs of the victims which may lead to their identity shall not be published.

In addition, he put across the fact that most contents available in the media were not child-friendly or child-centric. So creating a space for them and their interests is also in need, the legal specialist said.

Garrol Lotha, project coordinator, Child Friendly Dimapur (CDF), status of CDF meanwhile highlighted the role and activities of the organisation during the event. The organisation has been set up to build child friendly cities particularly for Chümoukedima and Dimapur with the help of various stakeholders.