Attitudes of Media Practitioners in Egyptian Television Channels Toward the Right of the Child in Contact with the Law to Privacy in Media Practices

This study addresses the gap between the legal and media-based safeguards ensuring the right to privacy for children in contact with the law and the actual practices of media professionals in Egypt. The research aims to explore media practitioners’ attitudes toward this right, assess their level of commitment to related codes and regulations, identify the reasons behind violations by certain programs, and analyze the roles played by media management and regulatory bodies in this regard. The study adopts a descriptive methodology using a survey instrument, grounded in the social responsibility theory of the media. A sample of 200 television professionals was drawn from Egypt’s four main media sectors: the National Media Authority, United Media Services, the private sector, and Arab and foreign Arabic-speaking media operating in Egypt. The Findings revealed that 74.5% of participants acquire information about children's rights only when professionally necessary. About 58.5% rely on international organizations such as UNICEF for guidance, followed by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (55.5%), and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation along with professional codes of ethics (36.5%). Training courses ranked lowest as a source of information at 13%. The results indicated a clear tendency among media professionals to conceal the identities of children involved in legal cases. However, only 56% correctly understood the definition of a "child in contact with the law." The most influential factor behind privacy violations was competition with social media to attract viewers (73%), followed by the limited awareness of child rights among some parents (71.5%), the inadequate experience of media teams (67.5%), the absence of effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms (59%), and insufficient training and professional development (57%). Regarding awareness of legal frameworks and codes governing children’s right to privacy, 54% of respondents reported familiarity, though overall reliance on these frameworks as reference points in their professional work was assessed as "moderate."