30 May 3. It’s legal to report these details, but is it ethical?

The Canadian Association of Journalists’ Ethics Guidelines¹ “Ethics Guidelines”  Canadian Association of Journalists, June 2011. https://caj.ca/ethics-guidelines states that “we [the journalists] serve the public interest, and put the needs of our audience – readers, listeners or viewers – at the forefront of our newsgathering decisions.” 

The Femifesto Media Guide, titled Use the Right Words: Media Reporting on Sexual Violence in Canada, is a free guide for journalists when reporting on sexual violence published in 2015 by Femifesto, a Toronto-based feminist organization. Among the recommendations included in their Checklist on Reporting Sexual Assault is: “Ensure that every detail you include about the assault serves to honour the survivor’s story or to contextualize sexual assault in broader culture. If a graphic detail does neither of these it doesn’t need to be in the story.”

UNICEF’s Ethical Guidelines for Journalists, with regards to reports on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) states: “When reporting on GBV, it is important to distinguish between what is ‘in the public interest and what is ‘of interest to the public,’” and warns journalists of reporting in a sensationalist way. ²“Ethical Guidelines for Journalists.” United Nations Communications Group.  December 2016. https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/media/2136/file/afg-publication_UN%20Ethical%20Guidelines%20for%20Journalists%20-%20English.pdf%20.pdfAlthough this ethical guideline is intended mainly for journalists reporting for UNICEF, it is a useful standard for anyone reporting on children who have suffered GBV, which includes sexual violence.

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   “Ethics Guidelines”  Canadian Association of Journalists, June 2011. https://caj.ca/ethics-guidelines
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  “Ethical Guidelines for Journalists.” United Nations Communications Group.  December 2016. https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/media/2136/file/afg-publication_UN%20Ethical%20Guidelines%20for%20Journalists%20-%20English.pdf%20.pdf