Journalists at the seminar heard about the Code of Ethics of Journalists and the mandate of the Press Council

(Source: Krusevacgrad) In an effort to strengthen the capacities of local media in Serbia, and within the project “New Knowledge for New Media”, the editorial staff of the newspaper Grad and portal Kruševac Grad organized a three-day seminar at (Mount) Jastrebac aimed at improving the skills of journalists and editors, as well as the application of the code of ethics in digital media. Focused on the area of central, western and southern Serbia, this seminar gathered over ten newsrooms with the aim of improving the quality of media coverage

On the second day of the seminar, Nada Budimović, representatives of Lokal Press, in the Complaints Commission at the Council, discussed the Code of Ethics of Journalists and the mandate of the Press Council.

The Council, as a self-regulatory body, ensures compliance with the Code, and the Commission considers complaints from those who believe that the media, by writing about them, violated the Code and caused them harm.

Statistics show that local media are more responsible when it comes to respecting the Code, and that, in general, the presumption of innocence and the protection of victims’ identities are most often violated. Recalling that respect for all points of the Code is necessary in responsible journalism, Budimović particularly drew the participants’ attention to the chapter related to independence from pressures, given that the time of elections in Serbia is approaching.

– Elections are always a test for both journalists and editors, primarily due to the fact that almost all media owners in Serbia are politically colored, and most of them are close to the current government. Therefore, for you in the coming period, the biggest ethical challenge will be the point that says: “A journalist is primarily responsible to his readers and must not submit this responsibility to the interests of others, especially the interests of publishers, the government and other state bodies.” This will require journalistic courage and consistency, resisting censorship, but also self-censorship – she said.

The aim of this seminar is not only to empower local media, but also to promote responsible journalism in the digital age, and the participants expressed their enthusiasm for the newly acquired knowledge and faith in improving the quality of journalistic reporting in local media.

Author: M. Janković