Representatives of news channels in Shivamogga, on Friday, appeared before the district Child Welfare Committee responding to its notice on alleged violation of children’s rights while reporting protests over the hijab row.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the committee had issued notices to representatives of seven Kannada news channels through the Senior Assistant Director of the Department of Information and Public Relations.
The committee, in its notice, said it had noticed some media telecasting video clips violating the children’s rights. It would be a violation of the rights as per the Sec. 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
When The Hindu contacted G.M. Rekha, chairperson of the committee, she said the representatives of the news channels did appear before the committee. “We informed them about the child rights and consequences of violating the Sections under the Juvenile Justice Act and other laws concerned to children. The reporters in Shivamogga, by and large, have been sensitive to the issues concerned to child rights. However, while reporting the recent incidents, a few ignored the children’s rights”, she said.
Recently a video clip showing a reporter running behind a girl student to record her statement in Shivamogga had gone viral.
Bengaluru-based advocate Poorna Ravishankar, who has been campaigning against coverage of hate speech in media, said that some media people had been reporting the incidents in a highly objectional manner. “Chasing minor children for visuals amounts to stalking and other serious offences. It is distressing to watch cameramen recording girl students removing their clothes in front of schools and telecasting the same,” she said.
