A total of 257 reporters from 62 provinces, including 83 women, have participated in similar training events organised jointly by BİA² and UNICEF Turkey between December 2005 and March 2006 in the provinces of Erzurum, Diyarbakir, Ankara, Mugla, Adana, Samsun and Kocaeli.
The training events focusing on reporting on children's rights have so far hosted reporters from 127 newspapers, 14 news agencies 28 radio and 25 television stations and attracted participation from children rights activists, academic and students of communication faculties.
Journalists, NGOs and state officials
Last week's seminar hosted local journalists, NGO representatives as well as local state and police officials working on the field. At the end of the two-day seminar, participants expressed content with regard to their perception of the issue and said they would apply a rights focused perspective in their future vocation.
Fisrt day of the seminar has begun with a presentation by Antalşya Bar Association children's rights comission member lawyer Yasemin Onat. She reminded the participants the basci national and international legislation that guarantee children's rights in various cases.
Onat mentioned the proper ways of conduct between journalists and children as subjects and objects of news. She drew attention to the common mistake of revealing the child's identity while reporting cases involving law enforcement, either in writing or by publishing photographs.
"Increased coverage of children related issues needed"
In the afternoon Asst. Prof. Gülgün Erdoğan Tosun of Ege University Faculty of Communication further dwelled upon the proper ways of reporting events involving children. She also noted the delicate issue of reporting on children involved in crime and reminded the participants to look beyond the obvious and try to depict the very conditions, which force children to such.
Tosun said media should increase its coverage of issues related to children and basically follow institutions and experts working in the field in such a manner.
UNICEF Turkey branch communication chief Sema Hosta gave information on the United Nations body's activities in the country. She emphasized the child's right to participation as conveyed on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and said media has a responsibility to to reflect children's words and thoughts.
Ezgi Koman from Gündem Children's Association agreed, saying its an imperative of democracy that children could express their own thoughts and media should reflect those as it is. She said that children should be informed about their rights and about issues that involve them like health or education.
In events that directly effect children, journalists should consult them she said. Later, Koman showed short films made by children to the participants.
Children took the floor
On the second day of the seminar, former BIA² children's rights editor Kemal Özmen gave examples of media's rights violations. He distributed published articles from different venues and asked the participants to point out such violations and discuss proper ways of reporting those events.
Then children took to the chair. Bekirpaşa municipality children's council chair Gözde Karaalp explained their work up to date, such as a campaign against smoking and a collaboration with a school in Macedonia.
We'd like to set an example for other children, she said. Beyza Nur Erdoğan from the Gunişiği magazine prepared by children in the district explained how they publish the magazine.
Later, all participants evaluated the seminar and expressed their criticism and thoughts. "Media as an indispensable part of modern democracies must include children as necessary" said Bekispaşa municipality mayor Abdullah Köktürk.
"I've learned mush to help me on my project on children living and working on the streets" said Kocaeli University student Gülçin Karakahyaoğlu. Kocaeli Police Department Children's Bureau chief Özcan Alıcı said he found the seminar to be educative and enlightening. (NZ/TK/EÜ)
