Page
A Guide for Journalists on Coverage of Children
Principles and guidelines on how journalists can report on children in a way that respects the public interest without endangering children's rights
Principles and guidelines for media reporting on children's rights
When covering the rights of children and young people, the media should never put these individuals at risk. UNICEF has developed principles and guidelines on how journalists can report on children in a way that respects the public interest without jeopardizing the rights of the child.
We have developed six general principles, six guidelines for interviewing children, and seven principles for reporting on children's problems.
Six general principles
- Respect the dignity and rights of every child in all circumstances.
- When interviewing children (and covering their concerns), take particular care to respect each child's right to privacy and confidentiality, to have their views heard, so that they can participate in the decisions that affect them and can be protected. from harm and from revenge.
- Be guided above all by the principle of the best interests of every child, including advocating for solving children's problems and promoting children's rights.
- When trying to determine what is meant by the best interests of a child, keep in mind the child's right to have his or her opinions taken into account according to their age and maturity.
- For the political, social and cultural implications of any reporting, seek advice from the people who are most relevant to the child's situation and who can best assess it.
- Do not post texts and images that could endanger the child himself, his siblings or his peers, even if his data is changed, shaded or not published.
Six guidelines for interviewing children
- Do not harm any child: Avoid questions, behaviors or comments that are evaluative, do not take into account the values of their cultural environment, that put the child in danger or humiliate him, that cause pain in his memory due to the traumatic experience.
- When selecting children for interviews, avoid discrimination based on gender, race, age, religion, status, education and physical ability.
- No staging: Do not ask children to tell stories or perform actions they have not experienced themselves.
- Make sure the child or legal representative knows that he is talking to the reporter. Explain how and for what purpose you plan to use this interview.
- Always obtain consent from the child and his legal representative for interviews, video recording and, if possible, documentary photography. Whenever possible and where necessary, this consent should be in writing. Such consent must be obtained under conditions that make it clear that the child and legal representative were not coerced in any way, and they understand that materials about them can be distributed in the local community and around the world. For this, consent must necessarily be sought in the child's native language and given by the child only after consultation with an adult whom the child trusts.
- Be mindful of where and how the child is being interviewed. Limit the number of interviewers and photographers. Try to make sure that the child is comfortable and able to tell his story without outside pressure, including from the interviewer. When creating films, video and radio interviews, consider how the chosen visual or sound background can influence the public's perception of a given child, his life and history. Make sure that exposing the child's home environment, community or general location does not endanger or reflect negatively on the child.