Imphal, December 27 2009: Media have great role in spreading awareness on the problems confronting by the children and their rights, a workshop on the role to be taken by the media in highlighting issues of children and norms to be maintained by them held today observed.

The workshop organised by the Coalition on Children Right to Protection (CCRP), Manipur held at Manipur Press Culb, Majorkhul, Imphal today.

Delivering key note address of the workshop, convener of the CCRP, S Suraj said when media in state started publishing on the problems confronting by the children and their issues, it has been a must to know the rights of the children thoroughly and spread the same to the people through the media.

Media should take a major role in protection of rights of the children and address their problems.

With the media reports, the rights of the children are protecting in the society.

Media are exposing the engaging children as labourers, trafficking of them, sexual abuse etc.

which are continuing un-notice in the society.

But sometimes over exposure of privacy of the children which amount to hurt the interest of the children also happening.

This will lead to look down upon the children by the people, he observed.

The workshop was moderated by former president of the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union AK Sanaton.

Editor of the Imphal Free Press, Pradip Panchoubam talked on Freedom of Press and Right to Confidentiality of the Children as resource person.

Lecturer of LMS Law College, Sapam Dilip talked on legal provisions restricting publication of children's identity in Media.

Speaking on this topic, he said children are the weaker section of the society who does not know where to lodge complaint when their rights are violated.

The problems facing by them came to know only when media men investigate and publish the story on their finding on the problems confronting by them.

But media are not allowed to publish the identity of the particular child as per the Juvenile Justice Act.

The same is also mention in the norms of the Press Council of India, he said citing an instant of publishing photograph of a girl child who had secret illicit relationship with an engineer in a house in Assam where she work as domestic helper.

The journal "Sadin" published in Assam was censored by PCI, he said adding that while publishing news reports interest and right of the children should be kept in mind.

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