EDITORIAL – Children exploited even by those who profess to protect them

Every newspaper has its own staff of photographers. Aside from that, most newspapers complement their photo staff by subscribing to news agencies that provide not only round-the-clock news services but also photos and graphics.

It is the discretion of the newspapers whether or not to use the news, photos and graphics provided by news agencies. But whether they use these items or not, they always know what are available on a given day. It is this knowledge that we tap today for our topic, which is about the exploitation of children.

The exploitation of children comes in a variety of ways. Some are used to cater to the prurient and perverted sexual urges of some, others are used to make a quick buck out of cheap labor. Some are squeezed for their entertainment value, others are used as props to bring home the point in adult issues.

The first three examples are quite common and need no elucidation. But the last one is not so obvious to many, capable as it is of being overlooked by the larger issues that strike the adult point of view. Those in the news business, however, are pretty aware of the exploitation of children in this manner.

Newsrooms everywhere are often bombarded with photos, from whatever source, of children being used as props in rallies, demonstrations, and other forms of mass actions. Many of these photos do not get used, often because, after a while, seeing the same scenes over and over again no longer make the photos interesting.

The point is that there seems to be a contradiction in the viewpoints of those who aggressively push for the protection of children's rights. For example, why is it so wrong when children are used for immoral sex, child labor and objects of entertainment, but so right as props in mass actions?

Just last Tuesday, a national daily carried on its front page a photo of very small and young children being used as props in a rally for an end to child pornography. Does the validity of the cause being pushed justify the use of children as props?

In fact, other than being used as props, those children were undoubtedly exposed to language and ideas (the rally was about child pornography, remember?) harmful to their young minds. If there are laws against other forms of child exploitation, there should also be one against the use of children in rallies and similar mass actions.