Press Council: Most media forgot about elementary rules – call for professionalism

(Source: Tanjug) BELGRADE – The Press Council and several organizations called on the media today to report on the tragedies in accordance with professional standards and with true empathy.

The Council assessed that most media, unfortunately, in the previous days had forgotten about the basic rules of reporting in situations involving great pain and shock.

“Of particular concern is the non-compliance with the provisions relating to the protection of the rights, privacy and dignity of children and victims of crime, and the absolutely inadmissible interviewing of children, witnesses of the crime and the publication of the names of the perpetrators or details that could make them recognizable in public,” the statement said.

The Press Council called on the media to immediately stop publishing disturbing, frightening and often bizarre details of the violence, as well as to stop speculating about the reasons for the violence and psychological profiles of the perpetrators, as this creates an atmosphere of fear and further traumatizes children.

Professional reporting, with full respect for the rights of all affected by the tragedy, necessary so that children and adults, as well as the whole society, have the opportunity to face the trauma they have experienced, and to stop the terrible escalation of violence we are witnessing.

The Code of Journalists of Serbia stipulates that, even if the competent state authorities publish data that fall within the domain of privacy of the perpetrator or victim, such as the name of the perpetrator of a criminal offense or details that could make him recognizable to the public, the media must not transmit this information due to possible consequences for the victim or perpetrator if their identity is revealed,  it is stated in the press release of the Press Council and organizations Save the Children, Center for Childrens’ Rights, Friends of Children of Serbia and Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia.