Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Metro Manila
DPRI launches drug reporting guide for journalists, reporters
Philippines
Metro Manila
DPRI launches drug reporting guide for journalists, reporters
DPRI launches drug reporting guide for journalists, reporters
Published Apr 21, 2023 10:03 am
The Drug Policy Reform Initiative (DPRI), a network of advocates advancing humane drug policies, launched a new guide for journalists when covering or reporting drug-related issues on different media platforms (radio, television, or newspaper) at the Luxent Hotel, Timog Avenue in Quezon City on Friday, April 21.
“We are proud to say that this is the first comprehensive media toolkit on drug reporting in the country written through the lens of harm reduction - an approach to drug use that shuns stigma, discrimination, and coercion,” DPRI lead convener lawyer Kristine Mendoza said.
(Photo by Aaron Dioquino/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The “Putting Persons First: Drug Reporting and the Media” is a 24-page toolkit developed by DPRI advocates in collaboration with journalists, government and non-government organizations to serve as a practical guide in covering or reporting drug-related incidents such as buy-bust operations, arrests, searches, drug policy reform, and criminal justice issues. It highlights the ethical issues in covering stories about people whose lives involve drugs and how the media practitioner’s conduct impact narratives. The toolkit encourages reporters to put people first, practice sensitivity, and use non-judgemental terms such as “persons who use drugs (PWUDs),” instead of words like “adik,” “durugista,” or “drug abuser” which they labeled as stigmatizing and harmful when referring to persons whose lives involve drugs in their reports. “It is important to highlight that drug use does not define a person,” Mendoza said. According to Mendoza, the toolkit was created to remind the media to be mindful and aware of how the framing of stories and labels used can affect or have “real-life” consequences for the accused, and on how to preserve the rights of the people. She added that the stigmatizing words may reduce the multi-faceted character of a human being, even if the person has not yet been proven guilty of involvement to illegal drugs. The toolkit also challenges and urges media personnel to question the assumption of a “drug problem;” to break the notion of equating drugs to crime incidents; check one’s biases and assumptions in reporting about drugs or drug use; to be mindful/careful when interviewing suspects to not violate their rights against self incrimination; avoid exploiting grief and trauma; and not baiting arrested individuals to confession. “People over deadlines; people over headlines,” Mendoza said. “Let’s put persons -their wellbeing, safety, and truth -first,” she added. The toolkit can be viewed through [https://tinyurl.com/PuttingPersonsFirst](https://tinyurl.com/PuttingPersonsFirst).
(Photo by Aaron Dioquino/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The “Putting Persons First: Drug Reporting and the Media” is a 24-page toolkit developed by DPRI advocates in collaboration with journalists, government and non-government organizations to serve as a practical guide in covering or reporting drug-related incidents such as buy-bust operations, arrests, searches, drug policy reform, and criminal justice issues. It highlights the ethical issues in covering stories about people whose lives involve drugs and how the media practitioner’s conduct impact narratives. The toolkit encourages reporters to put people first, practice sensitivity, and use non-judgemental terms such as “persons who use drugs (PWUDs),” instead of words like “adik,” “durugista,” or “drug abuser” which they labeled as stigmatizing and harmful when referring to persons whose lives involve drugs in their reports. “It is important to highlight that drug use does not define a person,” Mendoza said. According to Mendoza, the toolkit was created to remind the media to be mindful and aware of how the framing of stories and labels used can affect or have “real-life” consequences for the accused, and on how to preserve the rights of the people. She added that the stigmatizing words may reduce the multi-faceted character of a human being, even if the person has not yet been proven guilty of involvement to illegal drugs. The toolkit also challenges and urges media personnel to question the assumption of a “drug problem;” to break the notion of equating drugs to crime incidents; check one’s biases and assumptions in reporting about drugs or drug use; to be mindful/careful when interviewing suspects to not violate their rights against self incrimination; avoid exploiting grief and trauma; and not baiting arrested individuals to confession. “People over deadlines; people over headlines,” Mendoza said. “Let’s put persons -their wellbeing, safety, and truth -first,” she added. The toolkit can be viewed through [https://tinyurl.com/PuttingPersonsFirst](https://tinyurl.com/PuttingPersonsFirst).