CWC launches media guidelines on coverage of vulnerable children

GMA Network

5 days ago

The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has launched guidelines for media and content creators on how to cover stories involving children in vulnerable situations.
CWC Executive Director Angelo Tapales said the guidelines emphasize prioritizing the dignity and privacy of children in the reports.
'One way of protecting children is really encouraging the media to make their reporting and coverage child-friendly or child-sensitive. Ang objective ng guidelines natin [The objective of our guidelines] is of course to encourage media to report children fairly and produce contents that promotes the rights of children,' he said in an interview on the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.
'Hindi dapat makakalimutan yung [We must not forget the] best interests of the child, which is defined as the totality of circumstances and conditions most congenial to the survival, protection, and feeling of security of children.'
The CWC official noted that the guidelines aim to protect children who need special protection or who are victims of violence, cruelty, and exploitation.
'Keep in mind that the child you are interacting with may be experiencing or may have experienced trauma. Ensure that the engagement with the child and the final content do not cause retraumatization. Also, avoid sensationalizing stories of or with children,' a portion of the guidelines reads.
The CWC official added that consent of the parents and the guardians are also important.
Further, anonymity and confidentiality of the children in sensitive reports must also be noted.
'Let's always maintain anonymity and confidentiality. Kapag biktima 'yan ng panga-abuso [If they are a victim of abuse], always blur the faces, do not divulge the identity…huwag din tayo mag-divulge ng [let us also not divulge] any identifying circumstances,' said Tapales. — BM, GMA Integrated News