Awareness of human trafficking over mass media

1. Awareness of human trafficking over mass media Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Vilnius, 2011

2. Mass media plays an important role informing society about phenomenon of human trafficking and shaping opinion of the society members towards victims of this crime. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

3. Mass media: • Social institution of the society that focus on spreading information for inhabitants; • Shapes our point of view of one or other event happened in our daily lives; • Shapes opinion of the society: reasoning and attitudes towards important issues of our lives that are widely discussed and interpreted in various ways. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

4. Journalists are the first persons who inform society about the latest and most important news; • Every means of the mass media can effectively make an impact for the audience rising awareness, shaping values, educating human’s behavior and a world outlook. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

5. Information that is related to negative events attracts more audience. Thus it depends of the mass media, if it: • wants to attract more audience, achieve high ratings and popularity, it will choose to provide information sharply and impressive as much as it is possible; • respects human values and ethical principles, it takes risk to be not so popular as information provided thinking about consequences is not so attractive for audience. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

6. Awareness of human trafficking over mass media increases, when (1): • Persons who are suspected to be traffickers of human beings are arrested and/ or trial process is proceeding (“Už prekyba žmonėmis Norvegijoje teisiami tauragiškiai”; “Už prekyba žmonėmis – kalėjimo grotos”) • Victims of human trafficking are escaped(“Londone nuo seksualinio išnaudojimo išgelbėta gargždiškė”; “Prekeiviai žmonėmis į užsienį bandė išvežti ir nepilnametę”) Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

7. Awareness of human trafficking over mass media increases, when (2): • Urgent problems of the country and the most importan news of the day are related to human trafficking: a) Migration (“Daugėja dingusių tarp išvykstančių dirbti į užsienį” b) Missing persons (“Dingę be žinios: nei gyvi, nei mirę”; “Dingusių merginų likimą gaubia paslaptis”, etc.) • Shocking information and statistics are madepublic(“Beveik 6,5 tūkst. Lietuvos vaikų likimas nežinomas”; “Kraupi statistika: Lietuvoje – beveik septyni tūkstančiai be žinios dingusių vaikų”, etc.) Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

8. Informative Explanatory Educational Cultural Enternain Informative (inform about trial investigation process and court descisions; latest statistical information, etc.) Explanatory (Interviews with experts) Educational. Articles about human trafficking and its related issues are mostly: Functions of mass media: Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

9. It is noticeable that there is a lack of preventive – educative articles, broadcasts of TV and radio. • During half an year only in one article it was published direct recommendations for the audience Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

10. Underage girl who has suffered from sexual exploitation abroad. Possibly grew up in orphan’s home or are raised up in a social risk family. She is naive and has mental disabilities. Picture of victim of human trafficking in mass media (1) Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

11. Picture of victim of human trafficking in mass media (2) • Mass media forms not proper conception of victims of human trafficking. It does not explain situations onwhat circumstance they become such. • Myth that victims, especially women, agree voluntary to work as a prostitute is still very vital. • Most of such agreements are obtained by force, fraud or other means of manipulation. • However mass media does not explain this facts and audience just receives a message that victims is guilty because of human trafficking situation. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

12. Mass media does not pay enough attention to other forms of human trafficking • Labour exploitation; • Removal of humans’ organs and their parts; • Child and adolescents trafficking. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

13. Mass media mostly pays attention to women trafficking for sexual exploitation. However male trafficking also exists. Lack of information has possibly an impact, why men resort to the help so rare. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

14. How to develope awareness of human trafficking through mass media? (1) • Representatives of mass media should be objective and impartial, collect more information and to provide it for society in the right way in order to form correct view towards phenomenon of human trafficking and its victims; • Mass media should play its main role – to inform society, but not to judge; • Mass media should keep ethical principles; Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

15. How to develope awareness of human trafficking through mass media? (2) • Cooperation with representatives of mass media and experts working in counter-trafficking fields must be promoted; • Preventive educative broadcast of TV and radio could be initiated. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras

16. THANK YOU. Dingusių žmonių šeimų paramos centras