Ethical reporting on women and children has not yet taken root in sections of the media

Dear Editor,

The views expressed in a letter to the editor of the Guyana Chronicle dated September 1, regarding the treatment of women in the media generally, but more specifically the very distasteful piece in a recent column of ‘Dem Boys Seh’ carried in Kaieteur News dated July 21, is fully supported. There should be some retraction of that feature or an apology for that kind of debased and insensitive bit of journalism for which there could be no excuse.I wish to take this opportunity to inform the public that the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security in collaboration with UNICEF had undertaken an extensive Media Monitoring Programme over the period 2008-2010, and data was collected on the treatment of women and children in the print media focusing on all four national newspapers (with Guyana Times being included with effect from June 2008), as well as the electronic media focusing on local news broadcast on Channels 7, 9, 11 and 28. The data collected from more than 2000 local newspapers were analyzed by a consultant, Dr P Mohamed, and the results along with comments and recommendations presented in a comprehensive report – Media Trends: Representations of Women and Children in the Guyanese Media 2008-2009. This report was publicly launched at a function at which journalists, other media personalities, and representatives of a number of organizations were present. The findings and recommendations presented in this report later formed the basis of a workshop held for journalists. This exercise did not only focus on the presentation of women and children in the media, it also looked at ethical and balanced reporting and adherence to standards of reporting as established by UNICEF, UNESCO, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the recommendations on Women and the Media contained in the Beijing Platform for Action: Strategic Objectives and Actions, to which Guyana made a commitment of implementation.

This entire programme was formulated on the premise that there was a need for more balanced and ethical reporting on women and children. It now seems that all has not yet taken root in sections of the media.

Yours faithfully
Yvonne V Stephenson