Media guidelines
Reporting on children below the age of 18
Children and young people have all the rights of adults. In addition, they have the right to be protected from harm. Reporting on children and young people carries this added dimension and restriction, especially in the current era when it is nearly impossible to limit a story's reach. The Principles and guidelines for ethical reporting on children and young people under 18 years old is to support the best intentions of ethical reporters – serving the public's interest for truth without compromising the rights of children.
Read (160kb)
Reporting on HIV and AIDS
The media has played a valuable role in informing the public about HIV. But at times, they have also used terms which can be misleading about the virus, or harmful to those people who are living with HIV. The Media guide on HIV and AIDS is a compilation of information from UNAIDS intended to encourage accurate terminology and reporting that contributes to rather than takes away from the dignity of people living with HIV, and vulnerable and marginalised communities.
Media guide on HIV: Preferred language (183kb)
Media guide on HIV: Glossary (196kb)
Reporting on child rights, abuse and exploitation
The way media portray children impacts not only on society’s attitude to children; it also influences the way adults behave towards children. Sensational coverage of abuse and exploitation of children does not tell the full story and, by exploiting a serious problem, can do more harm than good. Telling their stories: Child rights, exploitation and the media by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is a guide for the media to contribute to improving the situation for children. Amongst others, the Guide will help reporters appreciate the reality of child sexual exploitation and the media’s role in reporting abuse. It also provides ideas and suggestions on storylines for topical issues.
Part 1 ι Part 2
Media Guide: Avian Flu (H5N1)
Communication is one of the most critical components of a successful response to an avian flu outbreak. The media has an important role to play to prepare and educate the public as well as to ensure accurate and balanced reporting during an outbreak. In this Guide, produced by UNICEF Malaysia, you will find facts about avian influenza (H5N1), background information, myth busters and reporting tips. The Guide which is available in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil is divided into Part 1: About the H5N1 Virus and Mythbusters and Part 2: Reporting Tips and Resources. For more information, please call (+6.03) 2095 9154.
English: Part 1 ι Part 2
Malay: Part 1 ι Part 2
Chinese: Part 1 ι Part 2
Tamil: Part 1 ι Part 2
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