KATHMANDU: The Press Council Nepal (PCN) has urged the concerned sides not to disseminate photos and audio-visual content in a way to negatively affect the self-esteem, dignity and individual privacy of the Bhotekoshi flood-affected children, in the pretext of their rescue, relief distribution and other support.
Issuing a press statement on Tuesday, the Press Council said its serious attention was drawn to the images and audio-visual material showing the helpless state of children and revealing their personal identity and posting on various media and social media platforms.
Such content goes against the ‘Child-Friendly Media Guidelines, 2073’ issued by the Press Council Nepal, the statement reads.
The guidelines state that images and visuals related to natural disasters and accidents can have negative psychological effects on children, so special caution must be adopted.
The guidelines also note attention must be paid to the potential long-term psychological impact on them while presenting the condition of affected children.
Similarly, the media regulatory body has stressed that showing children’s helpless state in the name of relief and rescue shall harm their self-esteem.
The guidelines also stipulate that children’s identities should not be made public in a way that could have immediate or long-term negative effects on them.
