UNICEF, GJA school Journalists

Akosombo (ER), June 25, GNA - A two-day orientation workshop to sensitise the media on guidelines for ethical reporting on children ended at Akosombo on Tuesday with a call on journalists to be sensitive when reporting on children.

The workshop organised by UNICEF in collaboration with Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) also provided the journalists with the opportunity to share ideas on ethical dilemmas they encountered in their work, using the GJA and the International Federation of Journalists guidelines.

Mrs Mali Nilson, UNICEF's Chief of Child Protection Section, said although Ghana was the first to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, some forms of abuse on the rights of children still persisted.

She noted that statistics released by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service showed that defilement cases increased from 154 in 1999 to 1,578 in 2007, representing an average of four cases daily.

Mrs Nilson said in the last 10 years, orphanages in the country had also increased from 10 to over 150, indicating that child neglect and irresponsible parenting were also on the rise. She also expressed concern at the denial of justice to children, saying about 90 per cent of children in remand homes worldwide were often innocent, yet their cases were left unattended. Mrs Nilson said it behoved the media to take up the challenge by educating society on the rights of children, while drawing government's attention to respecting international conventions and protocols for their protection.

She also urged government to expedite action to develop a legislative instrument to give the necessary backing to the Domestic Violence Act.

Mr Bright Blewu, General Secretary of GJA, expressed optimism that the orientation would help journalists to avoid over sensationalism and always work in the best interest of children. Some other topics treated were Interviewing Techniques of Reporting on Children and Vulnerable Groups, Photos and Responsible Use of Images and UNICEF's Principal Guidelines on Reporting on Children.