Kanal 2 fires journalist who portrayed children in an unethical manner
Duo Media Networks expressed regret over a recent report aired on Kanal 2's "Reporter" current affairs show titled "How well can a non-Estonian speaking child, who has recently transitioned to Estonian-language education, speak Estonian?" and has ended its collaboration with the report's author, Kertu Jukkum.
Duo Media Networks acknowledged that the report in question did not meet journalistic ethics standards and caused unwarranted negative emotions for both those involved in the story and the audience. "This type of conduct does not align with our company's values," the media company stated, offering an apology to anyone who was affected or offended by the piece.
Additionally, Duo Media announced that, to prevent similar incidents in the future, the television channel has implemented additional measures to improve work processes and ensure quality. The company also ended its collaboration with freelance journalist Kertu Jukkum.
This Tuesday, a report by Kertu Jukkum about the transition to Estonian-language education aired on Kanal 2's news program "Reporter." The approach taken in the coverage upset the children featured in the story, their parents, and many viewers.
For example, Jukkum visited the Tallinn Kadaka Basic School, which caters to children with special needs. Due to these needs, the school's start of the academic year ceremony was held in Russian. The school's principal, Georg Teras, told ERR's Russian-language news portal that the journalist also violated a ban on filming their students.
Additionally, the report featured children from the Ehte Humanities High School, who later felt that their words had been taken out of context and that they were portrayed in a negative light.
On Thursday around 10 a.m., Kertu Jukkum took to social media to express regret that the report about the first day of school, which was produced in collaboration with the editorial team, had a different impact than intended. "I apologize if it offended anyone," she wrote.
According to Jukkum, her intent was to highlight the current situation at the starting point of the transition to Estonian-language education with good intentions.
"It is important to note that today's opposition to language learning and related decisions is being driven by pro-Russian politicians, which poses a real threat to our national security," she added.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Marcus Turovski
