As news spreads faster across social media and digital platforms, Meghalaya SCPCR Chairperson Agatha Sangma says journalists must be more careful while reporting stories involving children, warning that public interest should never come at the cost of a child’s safety or privacy.
Shillong, May 9 : Agatha Sangma has urged journalists and media organisations in Meghalaya to adopt a more responsible and child-sensitive approach to reporting, stressing that freedom of the press must also include the responsibility of protecting minors from harm.
Speaking during the World Press Freedom Day celebration in Shillong, the Chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) said the media plays an important role in informing society, but ethical boundaries become especially important when children are involved in news reports.
“While the media has the responsibility to inform the public, it must also ensure that children are protected from unnecessary exposure and harm,” she said
Sangma highlighted the growing challenges faced by journalists in the digital era, where news spreads rapidly across websites, social media platforms and messaging applications, often without adequate consideration for privacy or long-term consequences.
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She stressed that reporting involving minors should focus more on systemic issues, public awareness and solutions rather than sensational details that may reveal the identity of a child. According to her, publishing names, photographs, school details, addresses or family information of minors involved in sensitive cases can place children at risk and violate both ethical and legal standards.
“There is a need to balance public interest with the privacy and dignity of children,” Sangma said during her address.
She also reminded media professionals that child protection is not only an ethical concern but a legal responsibility guided by child rights laws and media reporting norms. The SCPCR Chairperson also said “journalists must exercise caution while covering cases related to abuse, violence, trafficking, conflict, family disputes and other sensitive matters involving children”.
The discussion formed part of the World Press Freedom Day observance, which focuses on the importance of a free, independent and responsible press in a democratic society. Sangma noted that responsible journalism can strengthen public trust in the media while helping build a more empathetic and legally compliant reporting culture in Meghalaya.
Her remarks come amid increasing national and global conversations around media ethics, misinformation and the impact of digital reporting practices on vulnerable groups, particularly children.
The event also highlighted the evolving role of journalists in balancing freedom of expression with accountability and social responsibility in modern media environments.
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