Media guidelines launched to promote responsible coverage of interpersonal violence

The University of Guyana (UG), with the support of the Chancellor of the Judiciary and UNICEF, last Thursday launched guidelines to foster more responsible reporting on interpersonal violence.

In brief remarks at the virtual launch, Deputy Representative of UNICEF for Guyana and Suriname Irfan Akhtar, expounded on the importance of these guidelines and how they will be used to promote “responsible reporting” by members of the media. “The main purpose of these guidelines is to create an awareness among the media and all reporters about responsible reporting… I think it’s important to bring certain ethics of responsible reporting [to the table], especially when reporting on violence against women and children which are very sensitive topics [and] issues,” Akhtar posited.

Akhtar affirmed that his organisation is willing to put the requisite time and resources in to push the guidelines forward in an effort to ensure that they are properly followed. “We will continue to collaborate and provide all technical [and] financial support that is required to embark on this important issue together,” Akhtar said.

Interpersonal violence is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against another person that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who also spoke at the launch, said the media should always be respectful of the facts and not seek to create a narrative through headlines. The Chancellor went on to explain that media coverage is extremely important to the judicial system, as coverage could even affect the outcome of cases at differing levels. “We have had reports made before us in trials where persons would have by way of motion sought to have the trial not proceed because of what they term as ‘negative pre-trial publicity’ and the fact that they cannot have a fair trial because the court of public opinion having already tried their case as a result of the media coverage,” Justice Cummings-Edwards mentioned.

She lauded the decision and efforts made by personnel from the UG and UNICEF to collaborate on the guidelines, calling it a commendable step.

Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) Nazima Raghubir welcomed the new guidelines that were crafted in an effort to improve the dissemination of information to the public. “The GPA welcomes the opportunity to discuss another self-regulatory tool aimed at improving the way information is disseminated to the public and improving the work we do as media professionals… these guidelines along with others… ought to be used daily to guide our media workers,” she encouraged.

Raghubir went on to detail however, that even though she is confident in the work of her fellow journalists, those classified as “social media commentators” seem to pose a problem for efficient reporting. “The traditional media… would follow these guidelines once they are given a chance to work with them, but one of the major challenges has been what has been happening on social media commentators who are not members of the press and we might have to find a way to work with them since they have a large following and influence,” Raghubir opined.

Among other things, the guidelines encourage the use of appropriate language, consciousness of cultural stereotypes, sensitivity in reporting, publishing resources, and avoiding victim blaming.