10 ‘golden’ rules for journalists writing about children

A poster with 10 ‘golden’ rules for journalists who write about children was printed by the Independent Press Association (API) on the occasion of World Press Freedom Days and will be distributed to all the media outlets working in the county, Info-Prim Neo reports. The 10 ‘golden’ rules were formulated based on the recommendations of international experts who covered human rights-related problems during the last few years. The poster was issued in 6 000 copies – 4 000 in Romanian and 2 000 in Russian. In the poster launch festivity, Deputy Head of Parliament Liliana Palihovici said that the freedom of the press is highly appreciated by the authorities and civil society, but some media organizations should be more careful about the issue of human rights protection. “It’s good that you try to present the truth, but you should not affect the future of the next generations,” she stated. API executive director Pentru Macovei said that the journalists in Moldova forget about the deontological norms and children’s rights when looking for sensations. “This poster is designed to develop a responsible attitude and humanity in the Moldovan journalists,” he added. “All the children want to see themselves on TV and in newspapers, but they would not like to see their name or photo when they are abused by grownups. Such actions similar to that implemented by the API will contribute to building a modern Moldova,” said UNICEF Representative in Moldova Alexandra Yuster. The poster was published within the project “Strengthening ethical journalistic practices for covering sensitive child-related issues” that is financed by UNICEF Moldova.