Kathmandu. Minister for Information and Communications Dr. Bikram Timilsina has urged the media and journalists to fully respect human dignity, privacy and security while making the pain and sensitive situation of the people affected by the Bhotekoshi floods a topic of news.
Stating that new mothers, children, family members who lost their family members and other vulnerable people are taking shelter in holding centres in Nuwakot and Rasuwa following the Bhotekoshi floods, Minister Timilsina urged the public to adopt special sensitivity while making public their personal details, photos and videos.
On the occasion, Minister Timilsina said although it was a vital responsibility of the media to make public the reality of disasters, it was more important responsibility of the journalism to respect the privacy, safety, self-respect and mental sensitivity of the people affected by the disaster.
He also urged the media persons not to enter the holding center without coordinating with the concerned authorities. He also requested not to make public the pictures, videos or personal details that reveal the identity of children and other vulnerable people without consent and to collect and disseminate news without hindering the rescue and relief arrangements.
He said that while journalism brings the reality of the disaster to the society, it is necessary to keep the human dignity and rights of the victims above the subject of news. He said that the value of privacy, security and sensitivity of the victims should not be forgotten while searching for facts and truth.
Information, pictures and videos about the Bhotekoshi floods and the situation in disaster-hit areas including Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading are being circulated in various media and social media.
The Ministry has urged the government to base only information received from authentic sources as such false or unverified information could create fear among the general public and also create problems in rescue and relief management during the time of disaster.
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Information and Communications has urged the government to give priority to the information provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the District Administration Office, the security bodies and the local disaster management committee while publishing or broadcasting news related to the damage, rescue and relief caused by the disaster.
The Ministry has also urged the media and social media users not to make public any unsubstantiated, fabricated or misleading material generated through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The Ministry has also urged the people not to post or repost the heart-wrenching pictures, videos or details of the people who lost their lives or affected in course of the disaster on social media.
The ministry has said that the family members who have lost their relatives in the disaster may have to endure more mental agony if they see the photos and videos of the dead bodies of their relatives through social media and social media.
Therefore, the Ministry has urged the national and local media houses and social networks to disseminate accurate, factual and responsible information rather than the content that causes alarm, disturbing and further frightening the society during the time of disaster.
Meanwhile, the Press Council Nepal has expressed serious concern over the disclosure of pictures and videos affecting the dignity, dignity and privacy of children affected by the Bhotekoshi floods in course of rescue and relief distribution.
According to the press council, displaying the helpless condition of children in the name of relief and rescue, disseminating pictures and videos revealing their identity or disseminating material that negatively affects their psychological condition is against the spirit of Child Friendly Communication Guideline, 2073.
The directive has made provision for media to adopt special alertness as horrific scenes related to natural disaster or accident can have a negative psychological impact on children.
It is stated in the directive that the long-term effects of showing the condition of the victim children should be taken into consideration, their self-esteem should not be hurt by showing their helplessness in the name of relief and rescue and their identity should not be made public in such a way that it has a negative impact in the immediate or long term.
The council has also stressed that children should not be put at risk by disseminating pictures or audio-visual material that reveal their personal identity.
KATHMANDU: The Press Council Nepal has stepped up surveillance on such contents after it was found circulating in various media and social sites that violated the code of conduct related to the Bhotekoshi floods.
The Council has stated that it has been directing the media concerned to remove the content violating the code of conduct, has been working to warn and take action against the policy.
The council has also urged the media house, journalists, media persons, and social media users not to disseminate the images and videos that could make a psychological impact on the children affected by the disaster, hurt their dignity and privacy and dignity.
While reporting on the Bhotekoshi disaster, the media should provide the necessary information to the citizens regarding the real situation, rescue and relief on the one hand, while on the other hand, the rights of the victims and human sensitivity should be protected.
The stakeholders have stressed on the need to give priority to the consent, security and privacy of children, pregnant women, people who have lost family members, injured and people in a mentally sensitive condition.
KATHMANDU: The government and Press Council have also urged the media to be responsible and sensitive as exaggerating the grief of the victims in the name of increasing the impact of news during a disaster, presenting sensational scenes or disclosing personally identifiable material could cause further damage to the victims.
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