By Mariama Njie & Binta Jaiteh
National Youth Council on Monday trained over 15 journalists from both print, radio, and online on migration reporting on children.
The training aimed to equip and guide journalists on how to better report on migration and children on the move also to enhance them to be about to address issues affecting migrants and children on the move.
Speaking at the Event, Alagie Jarju, program Manager for National Youth Council said there are ways in which issues are reported regarding children.
“Journalist have a big role to play in our society in terms of informing and raising awareness, that’s why we always involve them in whatever we doing because the media has been helping them in amplifying issues of children especially in the area of migration,” he said.
“As we know that migration is not phenomenon is this country, and it’s affected young people and children are moving from the country, usually unaccompanied, “he added.
He said unaccompanied children face a lot of dangers that awaits them along the way, adding that this is a cause of concern to every journalist.
Njundi Drammeh, Child rights activist who gave a presentation at the training, defined Children on the move as an umbrella term that brings together different categories of children who have left their usual place of residence and are either on the way towards a new destination or have already reached such a destination.
He said children on the move face lot of risks and challenges such as Exploitation, coercion, deception and violence.
He said journalists have a big role to play in terms of Raising awareness of parents and communities on protection, and the needs of children on the move and raise awareness on safe migration.
“Publicity for children can empower them and affirm their worth as human beings with opinions that are worth hearing”, he said
He further said journalist face situations where decisions must be made such as, “should we publish the name of a rape victim? Is it important to describe the explicit details of a murder scene?
Modou S. Joof, Lecturer at MAJaC in his presentation on Migration Reporting Ethics, told the journalist that when reporting on migration they should drop the word ‘illegal’.
He said it doesn’t only dehumanize the people involve but it is unethical and inaccurate.
“The word illegal must never be used to describe any migrants therefore journalists should not divulge the migration status of any person they report on without the full, informed consent of the subject,” he said.
According to him, in the Gambia 90% of all migration stories published were reactive from events or workshop.