The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged journalists to maintain high ethical standards when reporting stories involving children, warning that sensational or insensitive coverage can cause lasting damage to a child’s dignity and future.
Speaking at a two-day training workshop for media practitioners in Ibadan, the Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, emphasized that journalists must strike a balance between public interest and compassion, ensuring that children’s rights to privacy and protection are respected.
Lafoucriere noted that ethical journalism goes beyond newsroom policies—it represents a moral responsibility to safeguard the most vulnerable members of society. She called on the media to prioritize accuracy, sensitivity, and the best interests of children in their reporting practices, especially in cases involving abuse, exploitation, or conflict.
