Child Rights Organizations Train Cambodian Journalists on Safeguarding and Child-Sensitive Reporting

PHNOM PENH, 22 May 2025 – In a joint effort to promote ethical journalism and address concerns about harmful reporting practices, Care International, Plan International Cambodia, Save the Children in Cambodia, UNICEF Cambodia, and World Vision International in Cambodia are conducting a specialized training workshop for journalists and editors on safeguarding principles and child-sensitive reporting. The aim is to better protect children and vulnerable communities.

While guidelines for ethical and child-sensitive reporting exist, many journalists may not be fully familiar with safeguarding principles, especially when covering complex and sensitive topics involving children, adolescents, and vulnerable communities. Enhancing their capacities and awareness of these practices is essential to ensure that media coverage upholds the dignity and rights of children and adults. This is especially important in stories concerning violence, exploitation, conflict with the law, or social stigma. By prioritizing the children’s best interests in their reporting, the media can prevent unintended harm and cultivate greater trust, empathy, and understanding within society.

“The media plays a crucial role in raising public awareness and shaping public perception, and with that comes great responsibility. When reporting on children, youth, and vulnerable individuals, we must ensure that their safety, dignity, and rights are never compromised or violated. Their best interests should not merely be considered, but must serve as the guiding principle in every story, to shift public perception and drive meaningful change,” said Yi Kimthan, Interim Country Director of Plan International Cambodia, on behalf of the abovementioned organisations.

This training workshop seeks to strengthen ethical reporting and foster a deeper understanding of children's issues, with a particular focus on those impacting girls and young women. Journalists are equipped with tools and knowledge to report in a manner that respects the rights, dignity, and privacy of all individuals, especially those most at risk.

This initiative represents a step towards establishing a media environment in Cambodia where children’s rights are protected and promoted, rather than jeopardised. We urge all media professionals to join us in building a more responsible, inclusive, and child-sensitive press.

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ABOUT

CARE Cambodia

Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls to bring sustainable changes to their communities.

CARE has been working in Cambodia since 1973 on humanitarian relief along the border. Since the Phnom Penh office’s establishment in 1991, CARE Cambodia programs expanded from humanitarian to development with four thematic areas; Economic Growth, Climate Resilience, Inclusive Education and Work and Inclusive governance. Today, CARE's primary geographical focus in Cambodia is in the Northeast of the country, Phnom Penh, and the surrounding areas, with a field office in Ratanakiri.

Plan International
Plan International Cambodia is a development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world by working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners. With over 85 years of experience across the world, Plan International Cambodia’s programmes aim to support girls and boys to Learn, Lead, Decide and Thrive. We strategically partner to empower 2.5 million girls, especially adolescent girls and young women in all of their diversity, to have a voice and to support them in gaining the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need in order to realize their rights and reach their full potential.

Save the Children
We are the world’s largest independent child rights organisation, working in more than 120 countries, and working in Cambodia since 1970. Our programmatic work involves the areas of early childhood care and development, basic education, child rights, child protection, health and nutrition, child poverty, and disaster risk reduction.

World Vision International 
World Vision is a Christian grassroots organisation operating in Cambodia for more than 50 years, and improving the well-being of the most vulnerable children and their communities. The INGO works in 20 provinces and Phnom Penh Capital, with programmes spanning child protection, education, nutrition, livelihoods or climate adaptation. In 2024 alone, the agency impacted the lives of 3 million girls and boys in Cambodia.