Record Number of Violations of the Journalists' Code in Serbia: Tabloids Lead, Concerning Trends in Other Media as Well (VIDEO)

(Source: Insajder) A new study by the Press Council shows that daily newspapers in Serbia violated the Journalists’ Code of Serbia as many as 7,246 times in the second half of 2025—the highest number in the past five years. The largest number of violations was recorded in tabloids, but worrying trends were also observed in other media. Gordana Novaković, Secretary General of the Press Council, emphasizes that not only the number of violations is alarming, but also their nature.

“The most alarming fact is that the number of violations has increased in all media outlets. Even in those with a small number of violations, the figure is higher compared to the previous year. This year it is 10% higher than the year before. But what seems to be a much bigger problem than the sheer number of violations is the type of violations… the number of breaches related to Chapter I of the Code, which concerns the truthfulness of reporting, is constantly increasing,” Novaković explains.

According to her, media outlets often publish inaccurate and unverified information, report in a biased manner, and increasingly present only one side of the story. She particularly highlighted the problem of pro-government media.

“Media outlets that are aligned with the authorities actually report on events exclusively from the perspective of the authorities. In other words, it is their interpretation of events that is presented to viewers, rather than independent reporting on those events.”

Novaković says these trends are not surprising, as the Press Council has been monitoring violations in daily newspapers for 11 years. She adds that last year the number of complaints was twice as high as the year before and that almost every case was related to protests.

“For the first time, we recorded the phenomenon of identical texts appearing simultaneously in multiple media outlets, most often on portals. At the same moment, the exact same text with the same headlines appears on four portals, which resembles pamphlets and has nothing to do with journalism,” Novaković says.

She notes that another problem is that texts are often unsigned, which violates the Law on Public Information. “The law stipulates that every text must be signed with the name or initials of the author… but that does not happen. As a rule, texts are unsigned or signed by the newsroom, and their content does not comply with any journalistic standard.”

Regarding violations of truthfulness in reporting, Novaković explains that media outlets often fail to distinguish facts from assumptions and speculation. “When reading the texts, it is unclear what is information and what is interpretation, assumption, or comment. This is a consequence of biased reporting—first a thesis is set, and then only data that support that thesis are selected.”

Asked about reactions from European colleagues, Novaković says that similar extremes exist in other countries, but that in Serbia the number of violations and the focus on truthfulness in reporting are far greater: “A few years ago, in the Netherlands, a tabloid that continuously violated the code was excluded. I can hardly imagine such a situation here.”

Novaković also adds that the consequence of unprofessional reporting is an uninformed public. “How can citizens make decisions about matters important to them if they do not have accurate information? That is very dangerous—people who do not have sufficiently reliable information cannot make informed decisions.”

She also warns about the consequences of spreading false information from social media into mainstream media.

“If the media serve merely to transmit what appears on social networks without verification, then media are not needed at all. That is copy-paste journalism, without thinking about the consequences for the people being written about,” Novaković adds.

Particularly concerning are programs that undermine the reputation and safety of journalists, such as a recent television program about Veran Matić, President of the Managing Board of ANEM. Novaković says that format is neither journalistic nor documentary, and that its sole purpose is discreditation and damage to a person’s reputation. As she notes, there will be more such programs, which is very worrying.

In closing, Gordana Novaković says that audience education and media literacy are key in combating biased and unprofessional reporting, while the Press Council continues to warn media outlets and promote responsible journalism.