KUCHING, Oct 23 2026: Malaysian Media Council (MMC) today reminded media organisations that its Code of Conduct provides specific protections for children under the age of 18.
It said under Clause 9.3, the interests of children must be protected and may only be overridden where there is an exceptional public benefit.
"Information that attracts public attention does not necessarily serve the public interest. Incidents involving minors, particularly in schools, are matters of legitimate public concern.
"The public has a right to know how institutions respond and what is being done to keep children safe. The media has an important role in reporting these facts," MMC said in a statement, referring to an incident involving a student of an international school last Wednesday.
"However, the responsibility to inform the public must be balanced against the potential harm that reporting may cause to children involved in such incidents, whether as suspects, victims or witnesses.
"Under Clause 4.3, the names, photographs and identifiable locations of juvenile suspects or persons of interest must not be published or broadcast," it warned, saying that newsrooms must also recognise that identification can occur indirectly through the disclosure of seemingly unrelated details.
MMC said information such as a child’s age, class, family background, social media accounts, photographs of their residence or other identifying details may, individually or collectively, reveal their identity.
"Similar consideration must be extended to relatives under Clause 4.14, as well as other children who may have witnessed or been affected by an incident," it said.
MMC further emphasises that the need for accuracy and verification becomes even more critical when incidents attract widespread public attention, saying that materials circulating on social media and messaging platforms, including personal notes, messages, screenshots, photographs and videos allegedly involving or originating from a minor, must not be presented as established facts without appropriate verification of their source and authenticity, in accordance with Clause 1.2.
"Even where such materials have been verified, editors must carefully consider whether their publication contributes meaningfully to public understanding or merely exposes a child’s private thoughts, circumstances or personal information.
"The reproduction of personal writings or communications in their entirety should generally be avoided unless an exceptional public benefit can be clearly demonstrated.
"Under Clause 1.6, unverified information may only be reported where there is a clear public benefit, reasonable attempts at verification have been made, and the information is clearly identified as unverified.
"Such reporting must not be accompanied by speculation or misleading conclusions," MMC stressed.
In light of recent incidents, MMC urges all media organisations and newsrooms to observe the following principles:
1. Protect the identities of minors. Refrain from publishing any information that could directly or indirectly identify a child involved in an incident, whether as a suspect, victim or witness. This includes details that may reveal an identity when combined with other publicly available information.
2. Verify materials before publication. Do not publish or reproduce notes, messages, screenshots, videos or other materials attributed to a minor without appropriate verification and a clearly established public benefit. Avoid reproducing personal communications or writings in full where doing so may cause unnecessary harm.
3. Respect the presumption of innocence. Children suspected of involvement in criminal incidents, including those in police custody, must be treated as presumed innocent unless proven guilty, consistent with Clause 4.2. Newsrooms should avoid speculation concerning motives, mental health, family circumstances or other personal factors, in accordance with Clause 4.18.
4. Avoid sensationalism. Headlines, photographs, thumbnails, videos and other editorial presentations must not sensationalise incidents or turn children involved into objects of public spectacle, consistent with Clause 4.17.
5. Exercise compassion and sensitivity. Reporting must take into account the emotional well-being, privacy and dignity of children, families, teachers and others affected by an incident, in accordance with Clauses 4.8 and 4.10. Particular care should be taken when approaching children or grieving families for interviews or comments.
6. Review and correct existing coverage. Media organisations should review previously published reports and social media content to ensure compliance with the Code. Where inaccuracies, unnecessary identifying details or other breaches are identified, appropriate corrections, amendments or removal of material should be undertaken in accordance with Clause 1.7. MMM recognises the media’s responsibility to report matters of public concern, including incidents involving children and the accountability of institutions entrusted with their care.
However, responsible reporting does not require the disclosure of every available detail. Editorial decisions must consider not only the immediate news value of information but also its potential consequences for those involved.
Children affected by serious incidents may continue to experience the consequences of media coverage long after public attention has subsided.
Responsible restraint can help safeguard their privacy, dignity, prospects for rehabilitation and recovery, while avoiding unnecessary interference with ongoing investigations. MMM therefore encourages all media organisations to review their reporting practices and editorial decisions against the relevant provisions of the Code.
Members of the public who are personally affected by media coverage that may have breached these standards may lodge a complaint through MMM’s Grievance Mechanism.
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