ISLAMABAD:
Participants at a consultative dialogue organised on Wednesday agreed to develop a framework and a code of ethics for gender sensitive reporting. The discussion was organised by White Ribbon Campaign Pakistan (WRCP).
WRCP Country Director Omer Aftab said that the basic objective of the dialogue was to engage journalists on the gender sensitive issues through media-training programmes, activism and dialogue to promote a culture of gender sensitive media reporting. He added that in light of the media’s significance, WRCP has initiated a National Journalist Engagement Programme to sensitise media reporting.
“The findings of the study revealed that media personnel are generally insensitive towards women-oriented issues,” Aftab said adding that the baseline study was conducted to explore the attitude towards gender specific issues. The study further elucidates that men acknowledge their need to play a more instigative rule in ending violence, he said.
The participants felt that any code of ethics should include protection to a woman’s right to privacy and keep a check on any visual representation.
Participants, who included media persons from both print and electronic mediums and members of civil society, stated that during this transitional period, the media is playing a positive role.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2012.
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In the past a number of Pakistani channels have reported the phone numbers, name and addresses of rape victims.