{
  "id": 16185270,
  "title": "Media Council warns against identifying minors in incident reports",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/media-council-warns-against-identifying-minors-in-incident-reports",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T12:25:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1562174/media-council-warns-against-identifying-minors-incident-reports"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) is urging news organizations to avoid publishing information that could identify children under 18 as suspects, victims or witnesses in incidents. Under its Code of Conduct, Clause 9.3 outlines the protection of children's interests, which may only be overridden if there is an exceptional public benefit. The MMC stressed that not all information that garners public attention serves the public interest and that potential harm to children must be considered. Under Clause 4.3, the names, photos, and locations of juvenile suspects or persons of interest must not be shared. The council also warned against publishing details like a child's age, class, family background, or social media accounts, as these could indirectly reveal their identity. Materials posted on social media and messaging platforms, including unverified notes, messages, screenshots, photos, or videos allegedly involving minors, should not be presented as facts without proper verification. According to Clause 1.6, unverified information can only be reported if there's a clear public benefit, reasonable verification attempts have been made, and it's clearly marked as unverified. Reporting must avoid speculation or misleading conclusions. The MMC urged newsrooms to respect the presumption of innocence, avoid sensationalism, show compassion when interviewing affected families, and review past coverage that violated the Code. Those affected by media breaches can file complaints through the MMC's Grievance Mechanism.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) wants media organisations to refrain from publishing details or unverified social media content that could directly or indirectly identify children involved in incidents as suspects, victims or witnesses.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}