Shortcomings in the way children’s issues are covered by the media in the Caribbean have prompted UNICEF and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to host a regional training workshop in St Lucia this week.
The workshop brought together journalists from several Caribbean countries to strengthen their skills in reporting on children during emergencies and disasters.
Studies across the region, along with lessons learned from major disasters, have highlighted concerns about how children’s stories are told during times of crisis. Regional partners hope the specialised training will help journalists better protect children’s rights while providing communities with accurate information to help them prepare for disasters.
UNICEF’s Eastern Caribbean Communications Specialist Patrick Knight said the two-day workshop was developed after research uncovered concerns about media reporting on children.
“But then in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, and just last year in Beryl, we would have done some more assessments. And one of the things that we realised was the impact of children and how children were treated in the media. And we even saw it last year in the terms of Melissa in Jamaica.”
He said journalists must also be aware of the emotional and psychological impact disasters can have on children.
“Things like the ones who are separated from their parents and so on, just don’t bombard them with news and so on but how to recognise that even in emergencies, that the rights and interests of children still have to be protected.”
Communications and Public Relations Specialist at CDEMA, Keith Goddard, said the training is about equipping media professionals with the tools needed to report responsibly while recognising the effect their coverage can have on vulnerable groups.
“From a CDEMA lens, I think it’s important that journalists get the information that they need in order to do the jobs that they’re doing. Not necessarily, we’re not here to censor, but to help you understand that when you are in the field, how your coverage has an impact, either negative or positive.”
He also encouraged journalists to embrace “blue skies” reporting by providing preparedness and resilience information before disasters occur.
“What we would want is for journalists to understand their role, not only in the impact but also in the early part during the blue skies, to be able to write stories and provide information for communities that they serve so that they understand how they can prepare, how they can build resilience before we have a storm, before we have a disaster.”
And veteran Caribbean media trainer Julius Gittens noted that children must become a greater focus of coverage, particularly during disasters and emergencies.
“It’s important that the journalists who leave here have a new sense of mission, that there are other people who need to be added to that list. And that in this case are the most vulnerable in our societies, particularly in disaster situations, emergency situations, and that is children. Add them to that list of people we need to be reporting for and to.”