The Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA) has urged media practitioners to exercise caution when reporting child abuse to prevent further harm to victims.
Mr Francis Nwubani, BCA Director-General, made the call at a media training on Child Rights Reporting held in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
The programme was organised by the UNICEF Enugu Field Office in collaboration with BCA.
Represented by the Director of News and Current Affairs, BCA, Mr Blessing Egbu, Nwubani described children as among the most vulnerable members of society.
According to him, children rely on adults and institutions to protect their dignity, privacy, safety and rights.
“Children could be exposed to further harm through intrusive interviews, inappropriate identification, sensationalism and stigmatising language.
“Publication of sensitive information that compromises children’s safety and dignity is unethical,” he said.
Nwubani said that media professionals wield considerable influence through reports, headlines, broadcasts, documentaries and digital platforms.
He said such influence shaped public understanding and societal perceptions of children and the challenges they faced.
”Ethical reporting of children is therefore not merely a professional requirement, but a moral obligation,” he said.
He further said reporting on children who were victims of violence, abuse, exploitation or other vulnerabilities could either protect them or deepen their trauma.
He stressed that ethical journalism did not require avoiding difficult stories involving children, but demanded responsible, accurate and sensitive reporting.
According to him, the reports should promote solutions while protecting children’s rights and preventing further exposure to harm.
”The media has an important role in bringing attention to violations of children’s rights, holding institutions accountable and amplifying the voices of children and communities,” he said.
Nwubani urged journalists to promote policies and interventions that improved children’s welfare, describing responsible journalism as a powerful tool for child protection and social transformation.
He expressed confidence that the training would provide practical guidance on child reporting and help journalists avoid harmful stereotypes and sensationalism.
Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, Chief Field Officer, UNICEF Enugu Field Office, urged journalists to avoid stigmatising vulnerable children during reporting and interviews.
Chiluwe also urged journalists to see themselves as development workers rather than sensational writers.
“Media practitioners must produce content that promote child survival and improved public understanding of children’s rights,” she pleaded.
Mr Temitoye Falayi, Assistant Director, Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB), said the training was designed to educate journalists on legal and ethical frameworks governing child reporting in Nigeria.
The Newsmen reports that five child-rights experts and resource persons also delivered presentations during the training.