When a armed incident occurred at the Baku branch of Idrak Lyceum on February 6, the Press Council addressed an appeal to the media, emphasizing the violation of the "Journalists' Code of Ethical Conduct" during the coverage of the incident and calling on the media to maintain professionalism.
Did that call have any effect?
On February 10, the Medianews.az site asked Rashad Majid, the chairman of the Press Council, to share his observations following the call.
Rashad Majid stated that the call made by the Press Council to the media was effective: "Firstly, the council drew attention to the importance of protecting children's rights in the media overall, and discussions were held on the existing direction. I believe that this aspect will become a kind of immunity in case similar situations arise in the future. That is, journalists will take into account the sensitivity of the situation.
Secondly, we also observed that some media outlets deleted the posts.
Overall, I think the position of the Press Council was a strong call for careful handling of information related to children.
In my opinion, the council explained the matter in detail based on the "Code of Ethical Conduct of Azerbaijani Journalists." Let's hope that such unpleasant incidents will not be repeated in the future."
Recall that on February 6, in the Idrak Lyceum located in the Binagadi district of Baku, one of the 10th-grade students brought his father's hunting rifle hidden in his bag into the lyceum building in the morning while going to class. The student fired the weapon at the young teacher Shahla Kamilova.
The teacher, who was shot, was immediately hospitalized and underwent surgery. According to the latest information, her condition has stabilized.
Police have apprehended the student responsible for the incident. The Prosecutor's Office has launched a criminal case regarding the fact. The court has chosen a four-month pre-trial detention measure for the student.
On February 6, in the appeal of the Press Council to the media, it was emphasized that although the incident at the lyceum attracted public attention, the methods of obtaining and distributing statements from this educational institution's student by media representatives regarding the incident are absolutely unacceptable: "This is completely contrary to the "Code of Ethical Conduct of Azerbaijani Journalists." According to Article 3.9 of the third principle titled "Protection of Honor and Dignity, Inviolability of Private Life," "a journalist must not exploit the innocence and trust of children, must respect their rights, must bear special responsibility in conveying their opinions, and should try not to interview children without the permission of their parents or legal guardians."
The same clause also states that "except in cases where more important public interest exists, journalists should not publish information or photographs about the private lives of children. Journalists must absolutely protect the identities of children who have suffered harm or have been involved in tragic or criminal incidents." Unfortunately, in the coverage of the incident at Idrak Lyceum, which we focus on, these principles were not observed."
The Council's appeal further stated that the interviews taken from the Idrak Lyceum student by media representatives, as well as their behavior during the interview, violate the requirement of the fifth principle of the "Journalists' Code of Ethical Conduct," titled "Protecting the reputation of the journalist and their organization," namely that the concept of "public interest" should not be confused with information "interesting to the public": "Their actions did not serve the intention of uncovering the real facts regarding the incident, and cannot be considered an example of professional conduct adequate to the public attention to the incident.
The Azerbaijan Press Council calls on journalists, especially in covering extreme situations, incidents that have caused resonance in society, and related issues, not to be swayed by emotions, not to rush, and to act on the basis of concrete essence. Let us not forget that sensitivity is the greatest criterion of professionalism and only materials prepared by the media with high professional sensitivity are capable of meeting people's information needs. Any opposite tendencies are harmful to society."
Idrak Lyceum is a private educational institution operating under the license of the Ministry of Education. The lyceum was founded by Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Mönsüm Alışov first in Sumgait city in 2008. In 2014, the lyceum's Baku branch began operating.
The lyceum's building in the capital is located in the Binagadi district on Ziya Buniyadov street.
At Idrak Lyceum, general secondary education consists of three levels – primary, general secondary, and full secondary education. Preschool education is also provided at the lyceum. Education is organized in three languages – Azerbaijani, Russian, and English (IB-International Baccalaureate) programs.
Information posted on the lyceum's website states that the lyceum is continuously guarded by employees of a security company responsible for organizing security, and entry of unauthorized persons into the building is prohibited.
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az