Resources - Get Mad/Glad

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) commends The Times newspaper for sensitive and balanced reporting on the two stories it published involving children who alleged that a teacher called them by a racially derogatory term. The stories are: “Teacher used K-word on us” (The Times, 11/03/2011, p.6) and “Colour in the classroom” (The Times, 17/03/2011, p.17). They both receive a GLAD.

The identities of the children and their parents were protected in the articles which also outlined the rights that teachers and parents have in these situations.

It is clear that the journalist, Harriet Mclea, was aware that the pupils’ identities could not be revealed, directly or indirectly, in order to protect them from negative reprisals. In the article, “Teacher used K-word on us” the journalist explicitly stated that the mother of one of the boys who made the claim could not be named to protect her son’s identity.

This reporting is in line with Section 28(2) of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution which states that the best interests of the child are paramount in all matters concerning the child.

In the article “Teacher used K-word on us” the pupils were accessed in order to give their version of what happened, while in “Colour in the classroom,” the accused teacher was given an opportunity respond to the allegations.

The second article went further and inserted a section with advice on the rights that parents and teachers have in these circumstances. This is useful information and is crucial in assisting teachers and parents understand their rights on this issue. It is also informative for readers who might find themselves a similar situation in the future.

The newspaper also constantly censored the racially derogatory term at issue, referring to it as the “k-word” and “K****r”.

However, MMA would like to suggest that in the future The Times should avoid naming schools that the victims attend as it might make it easy for some to identify the children.

MMA’s guidelines for editors and journalists state: “In all stories where identifying the child may cause harm, be sure to avoid indirect identification of the child through showing family, a school, residence, friend or a combination thereof.”

Nevertheless, MMA congratulates The Times for the sensitivity it displayed while reporting on this issue and for striking a balance by accessing both the pupils and the teacher to explain the incident.

By Musa Rikhotso.