Moscow Urges Int'l Community to Address Use of Child Images in Media

The issue of the exploitation of child image in media requires a special attention of the international professional community of journalists, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Zakharova noted that journalists should avoid manipulating public opinion by using images of children.

"It is scary when a life of a child is taken as an advertisement slogan, and absolutely heartlessly, mindlessly, although no, not mindlessly, used for profiteering, political purposes… This issue requires a special attention of the professional community, in particular, the exploitation of child image, children's fates and stories during journalistic investigations, during some journalistic or information campaigns," Zakharova said at the "New Era of Journalism: Farewell to Mainstream" international media forum in Moscow.

"There are children not only in Syria, there are children who are suffering on each side of the conflict… For example, what about the children before and after the intervention in Iraq?" she said.

The international media forum in Moscow is taking place on June 6-7. It is hosted by Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency and is part of the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Information Bureau. Media experts from over 30 countries of the world take part in the forum.