Plan International Ghana Urges Ethical Reporting on Trauma Survivors
Journalists advised to prioritize dignity, safety, and gender-transformative reporting over sensationalism
- Journalists told not to pressure sexual violence survivors for stories.
- Reporting must avoid sensationalism and protect children and vulnerable adults.
- Gender-transformative reporting examines structural causes of inequality, not just events.
Plan International Ghana has urged journalists to avoid extracting stories from survivors of sexual and domestic violence while they are still recovering from trauma.
Eric Ayaba, Head of Programmes and Influencing at the organisation, described such practices as both unprofessional and lacking compassion. He made the remarks during the opening of a three-day training workshop for 20 journalists from the Volta, Oti, Eastern, and Greater Accra regions.
The workshop, titled “Journalism with Purpose: Reporting Responsibly on Children, Gender Equality and Vulnerable Communities,” focused on ethical, development-oriented reporting.
Mr. Ayaba stressed that journalists must adopt ethical and innovative methods to obtain information, particularly when survivors are unwilling or emotionally unprepared to speak. Survivors, he noted, often endure ongoing physical and emotional pain, and pressuring them to recount their experiences can worsen their trauma.
He further emphasized that survivors have the right to remain silent and that reporting should avoid sensationalism or stereotypes, which can undermine their dignity. “The dignity of survivors must come before headlines; safety before clicks; and development over propaganda,” he said, highlighting the importance of prioritizing protection over sensational reporting.
Ayaba also noted that media coverage of children and young people should safeguard them rather than expose them to additional harm. “Be responsible reporters, not just better reporters. Protect children, girls, and vulnerable adults through gender-transformative reporting,” he urged.
Esenam Ahiadorme, Gender and Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist at Plan International Ghana, explained that gender-transformative reporting goes beyond including women’s voices. It critically examines structural inequalities, asking not only what happened but why, and identifying systemic failures. “Transformative reporting does not just focus on why a girl dropped out of school; it asks why and examines which systems failed her,” she said.
