Plan International Ghana Urges Ethical Reporting on Children and Vulnerable Groups

Plan International Ghana has called on journalists to adopt more ethical reporting practices, particularly when covering children, girls and other vulnerable groups.

The appeal was made during a three-day media training session aimed at promoting responsible journalism and discouraging sensationalism and stereotyping in news coverage.

Head of Programmes, Mr Eric Ayaba, in his opening remarks, appealed to journalists to adopt balanced reporting rather than blaming the victim, warning that doing otherwise could distort critical information needed to uncover the truth.

Mr Ayaba said some media coverage of vulnerable communities tends to focus on sensational angles, arguing that it can overshadow the broader issues at stake.

“We see some media people covering vulnerable groups by falling into the trap of sensationalism,” he said, adding that such approaches limit opportunities to fully examine important social concerns.

The training, themed Reporting Responsibly on Children, Gender Equality and Vulnerable Communities, focused on child-centred reporting, community engagement and identifying authentic story ideas.

Plan International Ghana is part of the global development and humanitarian organisation Plan International, which works in more than 75 countries to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. In Ghana, the organisation partners with communities and local institutions to promote access to education, protection from violence and economic empowerment for young people.

One of its major programmes is SheLEADS, an initiative designed to strengthen the leadership skills of girls and young women and promote their participation in decision-making processes at community and national levels.