Just because Vučić violates laws and human rights in public addresses doesn’t mean the media should be his accomplices
(Source: Cenzolovka) Media are not allowed to broadcast a statement, nor to exploit the emotions or limited reasoning capacity of a person shown on video. No, it is not allowed — even if the president said, “send this video to all media.” Most media have forgotten that they must respect the law and human rights, even when the president does not.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, in an extraordinary address to the nation regarding the events in the so-called Ćacilend, when two people were injured and tents burned, disclosed a number of details that, if reported by the media, would drastically violate multiple provisions of the Code of Journalists of Serbia.
In this conference, the public could hear who allegedly committed the act, which the president called a “terrorist act,” even though this contradicts the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) and the Constitution of Serbia, which state that “everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.”
Article 3 of the CPC adds that “state and other authorities and organizations, media, associations, and public figures are obliged to comply with the rules in paragraph 1 of this article and, by their public statements regarding the accused, the criminal act, and the proceedings, not violate the rights of the accused.”
By revealing the identity of the suspect and disclosing numerous details of his private life, such as his father’s name, age, and work history, the media can drastically violate the Code of Journalists of Serbia, which protects the presumption of innocence and the privacy of individuals being reported on.
Chapter 3, Article 5 of the Code:
Journalists must respect the presumption of innocence and must not declare anyone guilty before a final court judgment.
Journalists and editors must respect the presumption of innocence and protect the privacy and identity of suspects or perpetrators, even in cases of a confession, except where overriding public interest applies.
Publishing the video shown at the president’s conference, in which the suspect’s identity is clearly visible and he explains his motives and actions, violates at least two more provisions of the journalists’ code.
Filming and showing the person lying on the ground and explaining his reasons while being roughly held by police seriously violates his dignity. Considering that he said he acted because he feared the police would kill him, saying he “cannot live anymore,” it is clear that he is a person with problems. According to the Code, journalists are not allowed to exploit his emotions or limited reasoning capacity. No, it is not allowed — even if the president instructed, “send this video to all media.”
Chapter 5, Article 4 of the Code:
Journalists must not exploit the emotions, ignorance, or limited reasoning of others.
Journalists must remember that interviewees are not always aware of the power of the media and the consequences their statements can have on themselves or others mentioned.
Besides the suspect’s identity, it is also not allowed to reveal the identity of victims, especially private details, such as having two children or a daughter who is a student, as this indirectly violates the children’s right to privacy.
Chapter 6, Article 1 of the Code:
Journalists respect the privacy of the people they report on.
When reporting accidents or criminal acts, it is not allowed to publish names or photographs of victims or perpetrators that clearly identify them. Publishing any data that could indirectly reveal the identity of victims or perpetrators before official authorities disclose it is also prohibited.
In the president’s address, opposition MP Marinika Tepić was directly targeted, with insinuations that she was connected to the event because she “recorded a minute earlier.”
The Code of Journalists of Serbia strictly forbids publishing unfounded accusations, defamation, rumors, or “maliciously damaging the reputation of persons.”
Chapter 6, Article 3 of the Code:
Journalists respect the principle of not harming the reputation and dignity of individuals and do not participate in spreading falsehoods or continuously maliciously undermining the reputation of those they report on.
By relaying details revealed by President Vučić at the conference, media have no justification for violating professional and ethical journalism standards and the human rights of the people they report on.
Chapter 6, Article 1 of the Code:
Even if competent state authorities publish information that falls within the private domain of perpetrators or victims, the media must not broadcast it. A mistake or poor communication by state authorities does not justify violating the Code of Journalists of Serbia.
The fact that the president does not respect the Constitution, laws, and the rights of individuals he speaks about publicly does not mean the media should be accomplices. Unfortunately, the majority already are.
Author: Bojan Cvejić