District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary and Senior Civil Judge Ch. Ashalatha called upon journalists to maintain ethics and values and be professional.
Participating at a district-level consultation on media protocols for reporting on women and children’s issues at the Collectorate on Wednesday, she said that media should exercise restraint while reporting cases related to minors and sexual offences. She urged journalists not to sensationalise such issues.
“The identity of the victim must be kept a secret and any revelation will attract punishments under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Juvenile Justice Act (JJA),” she added.
She said that the media should be sensitive in reporting these incidents and spoke about the punishments under various Acts.
Communication coordinator Amoga Lakshmi explained about media protocols while reporting these cases. The programme was organised by MEDWAN in association with Mahita, Plan International and Girls Advocacy Alliance.
