Guidelines for Reporting on Children in Vulnerable Situations

NGO Friends of Children of Serbia has published the document “Guidelines for Reporting on Children in Vulnerable Situations – Operational Tool for Newsrooms”, intended for editors, journalists and other media professionals to support them in making ethical and professional decisions when reporting on children. The Press Council, the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) also participated in the drafting of the document, contributing to the creation of a tool that can help improve professional standards and more consistent protection of children’s rights in the media space.

The guidelines are based on the principles of the Journalists’ Code of Ethics, as well as international standards related to the protection of children’s rights. Their goal is to offer newsrooms clear and applicable recommendations for dealing with situations that require additional professional and ethical attention.

The document provides concrete answers to the dilemmas that journalists and editors often face, especially when reporting on children who are victims of violence, witnesses of traumatic events or are in other sensitive life circumstances. At the same time, the guidelines point to ways to avoid secondary victimization, stigmatization and sensationalist representation of children in the media.

The Press Council recommends that the media use this document as a practical tool in their daily work and incorporate its recommendations into their editorial procedures, so that reporting on children is responsible, professional and in accordance with their best interests.