Media told to protect the rights of the young

By The Nation

Pictures showing abused or abusing children in media may subject reporters, news editors and even TV station's owners to legal punishment, News Broadcasting Council vicepresident Jessada Anujaree warned at a seminar yesterday.

"The Constitution has prescribed press freedom but media have legal responsibility too," he said.

He was speaking at a seminar on "How to present news reports without violating children's rights?"

Isra Institute held the event at the Thai Journalist Association.

Jessada urged media to be extra careful when reporting news about children.

Laws have protected the rights of children or those under 18 years old, be they victims or legal offenders. By laws, media must not identify the underage victims, suspects or convicts.

"Also, pictures or voices of any other persons that will make it possible for audience to identify the children involved must not be reported," Pol Maj General Wichai Rattanayos said yesterday. He heads the National Police Office's Criminal Affairs Division.

Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection deputy director general Supamas Payakwichien said the identity of young offenders should not be disclosed.

"Don't view them as devils. Give them a second chance," she said.

Isra Institute president Prasong Lertrattanawisut said some media organisations faced punishment relating to laws protecting children's rights in news reports.

"But there are no case studies on the issue," he said, "Some legalprotection clauses have not clearly prescribed punishment either".

-- The Nation 2011-09-07

While I agree that a certain percentage of protection in this manner is viable, I fail to discover anything in this article that addresses the much broader spectrum of juvenile "freedoms" that go unpunished and ignored.

How will anyone know of any difference in the way issues are handled? There was no transparency before, and this makes it even more of an issue that is closed to the public. I, for one, would like to know who the criminals and repeat offenders are, without regard to age and gender.

This article serves no purpose to assure the law abiding public that juvenile delinquency and juvenile crimes will be dealt with a sure and heavy hand.

It is basically useless information.