Armenian journalists empowered to solve child protection issues

Monday, December 10, 2007
“The purpose of this meeting is to create a group of journalists who will cooperate with the Network to present child protection challenges to the advantage of children,” said Mira Antonyan, director of Child Reception and Orientation Center of Fund for Armenian Relief.

The Network emphasized that the present coverage of child protection issues is limited and lacks a comprehensive and consistent approach.

...the present coverage of child protection issues is limited and lacks a comprehensive and consistent approach.

At the meeting, ten journalists representing both print and broadcast media were provided with comprehensive information on the state of child vulnerability in Armenia. As a result of the information sharing they will be able to provide more accurate and purposeful coverage of child protection issues.

“As actors in civil society the media are responsible for covering child protection issues in a way that contributes to a solution, rather than a simple engagement of the topic,” said Artur Martirosyan, World Vision Armenia’s Child Protection Program policy officer.

As actors in civil society the media are responsible for covering child protection issues in a way that contributes to a solution, rather than a simple engagement of the topic

Journalists can play a greater role in improving the vulnerability of children by proactively finding cases of child’s rights violations, informing the public, NGOs and governmental organizations of the cases, and following how the cases are handled.

The journalists agreed to inform the Child Protection Network of all child rights violation cases through a hotline established for that purpose.

The Network will continue to collaborate with participating journalists through subsequent information sharing meetings and by coordinating media coverage.

The Child Protection Network aims to improve collaboration and coordination of child protection activities. It was established in June 2005, by one governmental and ten non-governmental organizations that advocate for child protection in Armenia. The Network has established a hotline so that vulnerable children and their parents can find psychological, social and material assistance.