Lompoul: CORED warns about the publication of archive images presented without precision

The Council for the Observation of the Rules of Ethics and Professional Conduct in the Media (CORED) calls on information professionals to be more vigilant in handling the capsizing of a migrant canoe that occurred in Lompoul, in the Louga region. In a press release published on November 9, 2026, the self-regulatory body denounces the distribution of old photographs without the mention “archive images”, a practice likely to mislead the public.

Media coverage of the capsizing of a migrant canoe in Lompoul continues to raise questions about respect for professional rules. In a press release made public on Monday, November 9, 2026, the Council for the Observation of the Rules of Ethics and Professional Conduct in the Media (CORED) reports shortcomings in the illustration of this tragic event that occurred on Saturday, November 7, 2026.

According to the authority, “around ten publications from this Monday, November 9, 2026 as well as information sites published archive images without the mention of recall”. CORED specifies that the photographs concerned, in particular those from Agence France-Presse (AFP), show rescuers transporting the body of a Senegalese migrant who died off the coast of Dakar, on July 24, 2023, while trying to reach the Canary Islands.

For the Council, the absence of the mention “archive images” is not a simple editorial omission. It is likely to create confusion about the nature of the images broadcast and their link with the Lompoul tragedy. “Not indicating the precision “archive images” can be a source of manipulation, but above all can mislead readers,” he warns. Such a presentation may therefore suggest that the photographs directly illustrate the capsizing that occurred in the Louga region.

Beyond this question of verification and contextualization of images, CORED puts at the center of the debate the responsibility of the media in the face of human tragedies linked to irregular emigration. The body insists on the need for “responsible, even humane” treatment of this news, the consequences of which are already painful for the families of the victims. This requirement also implies taking into account the sensitivity of the public exposed to this content. The Council therefore invites information professionals to ensure “the preservation and protection of sensitive and/or vulnerable souls”.

In support of its recall, CORED invokes article 18 of the Press Code, which provides that “journalists and media technicians must respect human dignity”. The text also specifies that the reporting of accidents and disasters, whether carried out by text, image or sound, “finds its limits in respect (…) for the suffering of victims and/or loved ones”.

The body recalls, in the same spirit, article 3 of the Charter of Journalists of Senegal, which calls to “respect the dignity of the human person”, in particular that of minority groups and people in vulnerable situations, in all circumstances.

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