Ethical reporting on children affected by violence

Given the high levels of violence against children which often make news headlines, colleagues from UCT’s Children’s Institute in partnership with Media Monitoring Africa hosted a workshop for members of the media on the ethics of reporting on children. The gathering, which took place shortly before the start of Child Protection Week, took a special focus on reporting on corporal punishment – an emotive topic which can be influenced by journalists’ personal, cultural or religious beliefs. Currently, a Constitutional Court ruling is pending on the unconstitutionality of the common law defence of ‘reasonable chastisement’ which allows parents to hit their children as a form of discipline. 

Read more in this report by one of the partiicipants, Leigh Andrews, published online by Bizcommunity.com.