Media Ethics Committee issued a reprimand to 6 news websites

The Media Ethics Committee announced that it had identified ethical violations in certain digital news reports concerning allegations of sexual abuse against a child under state protection, and decided to issue a “reprimand” to 6 news websites.

According to the Council’s statement, some media outlets published the news without editorial oversight. The sites Kıbrıs Headline, Kıbrıs Gerçek, Gündem Cyprus, Gıyık newspaper, and Haber Cyprus were condemned as a result.

The statement stressed that personal information which could lead to the identification of the victimized child was clearly disclosed in the reports, which violates international child rights norms and professional journalism ethics.

The Council also noted that some reports presented the incident in a sensational and provocative manner, dramatizing the violence with unnecessary details—clearly contradicting the principle of “avoiding the visualization and exploitation of violence” outlined in the Declaration on Internet Journalism.

The statement pointed out that the publication of clear identities and images of the suspect—whose legal process has not been completed—on the websites Cyprus Headline, Kıbrıs Gerçek, and Haber Kıbrıs, violates the constitutional presumption of innocence, harms the right to a fair trial, and poses the risk of “public lynching.”

The Media Ethics Committee informed the mentioned news outlets that they must revise their content and make the necessary corrections. It also called on all media to give greater importance to ethical principles based on children’s rights, press freedom, and social responsibility.

On the other hand, the Committee thanked media outlets that reported the same news in line with child rights and ethical standards.