A group of 30 journalists from ASEAN countries gathered in Hanoi, Vietnam this week for a training course on Enhancing Reporting Skills for Journalists in ASEAN Region on Child Safety Online, aimed at enhancing their skills in reporting child safety online.
The training, running from Oct. 3 to 5, is initiated and organised by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) with support from ASEAN Secretariat, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications, UNICEF Vietnam, and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training, VOV’s Vice President Mr. Ngo Minh Hien said children are spending more time online than ever before. Growing up online offers limitless opportunities. But these opportunities also come with serious risks and harms that can negatively affect their mental and physical development.
Realising the important role of media and journalism in improving the awareness of the whole society, as well as the engagement of stakeholders, families a
nd schools in protecting children from abuse risks on the Internet, VOV initiated a regional training project: ‘Enhancing reporting skills on child abuse online,’ he said.
‘The main focus of this workshop is to produce most powerful Community Announcement Service (CSA) that can drive the positive social behaviour, greatly and most effectively contribute to raising the public awareness of the issue,’ he added.
There will be a great deal of excellent works of production at the end of the course, which can greatly contribute to protecting our future generations, the VOV’s vice president said.
In Cambodia, digital technologies are a potential catalyst in the development of Cambodia and provide benefits to the public, including children. Of all Internet users, children are the most vulnerable group.
While online, children are at risk of child online abuse and sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, online grooming, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and acceptance of negative behaviours, to name a few.
The Minis
try of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) has established the ‘Cambodian Child Online Protection Guidelines for the Digital Technology Industry’ to address the growing concerns about child online risks and harms.
The Guidelines aim to encourage the industry to take preemptive and effective actions to ensure that their products and services are safe for young users in Cambodia, with timely response in case any harms arise.
Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse