The Press Council examined a case reported by a TV channel about a child from the Chisinau boarding school No. 3, whose mother is allegedly infected with HIV, and established that the dissemination of such details runs counter to journalists’ professional deontology and the ethical obligation to protect the identity of minors involved in events with negative connotations, IPN reports.
In a feature about abandoned children who live in residential institutions, broadcast by Pro TV Chisinau before Christmas, the journalist provided details about the mother of a minor from the Chisinau boarding school No. 3, saying she is HIV-infected. The Press Council members said the broadcasting of such information can lead to the stigmatization and discrimination of children by other children or grownups. The Press Council also established that the TV channel didn’t take sufficient measures to protect the identity of children from residential institutions in a situation with negative connotations, violating thus the Journalist’s Deontological Code of Moldova.
Press Council head Ludmila Andronic approved of the fact that the journalists want to sensitize the people to the problems faced by children who remained without parental care, but such information must meet the children’s interests. Thus, the broadcasting of information about the alleged infection of the child’s mother can expose the child to subsequent stigmatization, violating his right to dignity.
In its decision, the Press Council asked the Chisinau Child Rights Protection Division, which manages the Chisinau boarding school No. 3, to hold an internal inquiry into the way the institution’s director acted in this case. According to the Press Council, the director did nothing to ensure the observance of children’s rights during filming.
