What are the risks of involving children in media production? What should media people pay attention to when preparing materials whose characters are children? These issues were discussed at an online workshop on November 17, which was attended by teachers, postgraduate students, students of the Department of Journalism and Philology, FPSC SSU.

During the online workshop “Children and the right to privacy: The social significance of VS sensations” they talked about how to prepare socially significant material and “protect” the rights of the child, what is the danger of sensational news and shows with children and more. These and other questions were answered by Lyubov Naydenova, Doctor of Psychology, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, President of the Ukrainian Association of Media Psychologists and Media Educators.

– Unfortunately, in our society, children are often treated as people who do not have the right to privacy and privacy. Journalists believe that their “conscience is clear” when they asked for the consent of the parents before the demonstration of the child in the media. And no one thinks about the risks that a child’s demonstration in the media can carry, – Liubov Naidonova notes.

The speaker gave practical advice on how to cover bullying, child suicide, child abuse and more. The participants of the online workshop also found out the peculiarities of children’s perception of the world at different ages, which should be taken into account by journalists and editors.

– In order for the media to be guided by specific algorithms of work when involving children in media production, 5 joint acts of coordination were developed. They concern the protection of children who have been victims of sexual violence, the coverage of suicide, and the participation of children in armed conflict. Two other acts provide recommendations for media coverage of bullying and cases of violence and cruelty. The documents can be found on the website of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting, – said Liubov Naidonova.

An online workshop, and it is worth emphasizing, organized by the Academy of Human Rights for Teachers of Journalism on the eve of World Children’s Day, which is celebrated on November 20.

– Indeed, we often do not think about how material published in the media can affect the life of the person to whom it relates. The story told by a journalist can be widely publicized, make a person a protagonist or antagonist. When it comes to a child, such consequences must be considered very carefully. So we have to remember that and talk to the media students ourselves. I think that the acts of coordination, which Liubov Naidonova told about, should be taken to lectures and practical classes, – shared her impressions postgraduate student, tutor at the Department of Journalism and Philology, FPSC SSU Victoria Suchkova.