Press Council: Nine Daily Newspapers Violated the Ethical Code 1,361 Times in July

(Izvor: N1-Beta) Newsroom staff of daily newspapers in Serbia committed 30 percent more violations of the Journalists’ Code of Ethics in July compared to the same month last year, with most violations related to accuracy in reporting, the Press Council warned today.

In its statement, the Council said that during July, nine daily newspapers (Politika, Novosti, Danas, Blic, Nova, Alo, Kurir, Informer, and Srpski telegraf) violated the ethical code 1,361 times, while in the same period last year 959 violations were recorded in the content of these media.

The Press Council appealed to journalists and editors to respect professional and ethical standards of journalism and warned about the dangers of media content that contradicts the fundamental principles prescribed by the Serbian Journalists’ Code of Ethics.

“Inaccurate and unprofessional reporting can lead to further escalation of tensions, the spread of hate speech and aggressive behavior, as well as violations of the dignity and privacy of individuals mentioned in media reports — which is especially dangerous in times of social crisis,” the Press Council stated.