The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on journalists to uphold ethical reporting, describing it as a key factor in safeguarding child rights and promoting peace and stability.
Chief of the UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, made the call at a two-day training for journalists from Northern states.
The training was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Kano State.
Farah noted that ethical reporting builds confidence, heals divisions, eliminates misconceptions, and paves the way for an ideal society where children and everyone can live happily with hope for a better and sustainable future.
He added that the media plays a key role in informing both leadership and communities about child rights, cautioning that such must be handled appropriately and professionally to avoid ambiguity or endangering children’s lives.
According to Farah, unethical and unprofessional stories create distrust, division, and misunderstanding, and can ignite the flame of an unending crisis in the society.
“Professional journalists are always expected to take cognizance and avoid publishing stories about children—such as victims of sexual abuse or molestation—with their full details, images, or any information that could subject them to community stigmatisation, gossip, or lasting social deprivation,” he said.
“In Nigeria, we know journalists are operating in a complex society with multidimensional challenges. Therefore, they must always remain guided by the fundamental ethics of the profession to achieve sustainable campaigns against child abuse.”
The UNICEF official appealed to journalists to avoid presenting reports in ways that may scare children from going to school or traumatise them into losing confidence in themselves and the future of society.
He charged participants to become champions in the fight against unethical reporting in both the mainstream and social media to safeguard the rights of children and everyone in the society.
The participants for the two-day programme were drawn from public and private media outlets across the 19 Northern states.
