Broadcasters for the most part respect children's rights in newscasts, shows a monitoring report by the Independent Press Association (API) and the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC).

The report, based on a three-month monitoring of news broadcasts at 6 TV channels, found that reporters generally ask the children's opinion in matters that concern them.

Reports involving children had shares ranging from 4.42% to 10.63% in newscasts, with ProTV being the leader, followed closely by Prime TV with a share of 10.47%, and TV 7 standing at the opposite end.

Positive reports prevail both in terms of numbers and allocated time over those featuring negative occurrences such as abuse, violence or accidents. The largest number of positive reports involving children were aired by Moldova 1 and TV7, while Pro TV and Prime had the biggest number of negative reports.

No major legal violations were identified in the monitoring period. In most cases, news editors ensured that children could not be identified in controversial subjects, for example, by blurring their faces. Also, it has been found that journalists observe the good practice of asking the opinion of competent professionals such as doctors, psychologists, police officers or lawyers, to enhance the quality of their stories.

However, there are cases when reporters exploit subjects with children in embarrassing situations, justifying the failure to conceal their identity by citing the parents' consent. According to the monitoring report, crime coverage is part of editorial policies at many TV channels.

Making recommendations on how to properly cover events involving children, API director Petru Macovei said responsible reporters should always put the child's best interest first, placing it over the need to elicit or satisfy the audience's curiosity. It is also recommended to avoid interviewing children who went through stressful experiences. It should be also avoided to use stereotyping details when reporting about children belonging to a different ethnic group, religion or color. A more careful observance of the Ethics Code is a must when covering crimes involving children.