Press Council Presents Guidelines for Professional Reporting on Children, Protests, and Migrants

(Source: Beta)

The Press Council, an independent self-regulatory body tasked with upholding the Serbian Journalists’ Code of Ethics, unveiled today its guidelines for professional reporting across 13 sensitive areas.

These guidelines address reporting on children, mental and public health, people with disabilities, suicides, the judiciary, refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, as well as on LGBTQ+ individuals, elections, protests, violence against women, crisis events like mass shootings, and gender equality, it was announced at a press conference in Belgrade.

The Council’s Secretary-General, Gordana Novaković, stated that the guidelines were developed by Sanja Pavlović, a public representative on the Complaints Commission from the NGO sector, and journalist Bojan Cvejić.

“Thirteen areas have been selected for these guidelines, and they may be updated or revised if necessary,” Novaković explained. She noted that the guidelines provide journalists with solutions for dilemmas they might encounter in their reporting.

Cvejić added that international organizations’ experiences in reporting on specific events and groups were utilized in drafting the guidelines, aiming to consolidate what journalists may find most essential when covering these topics.

“The Code of Ethics thoroughly regulates reporting, and these guidelines are intended to resolve potential dilemmas within 13 thematic areas,” he said.

He emphasized that ethical and professional journalism standards are highlighted and cited throughout the guidelines. The guidelines also incorporate global media experiences related to reporting on protests, he added.

Pavlović noted that the guidelines focus on marginalized and vulnerable social groups, as well as children. She pointed out numerous violations of the Code of Ethics in media reports on violence against women, making this one of the key areas addressed in the guidelines.

The guidelines are published on the Press Council’s website. For reporting on protests, they recommend that “journalists at protests should clearly identify themselves, keeping accreditation accessible but avoiding public display among demonstrators.”

The guidelines also state that “during violent protests, journalists should avoid live broadcasting information about police plans or movements in a way that could endanger their safety,” as well as noting that “protesters may monitor social media to identify escape routes.”

Journalists are advised to remain cautious when estimating crowd sizes at gatherings. “Organizers and protesters, as well as government representatives, have vested interests,” the guidelines warn. For instance, “if police use force, they may claim the crowd is too large and out of control.”

The guidelines suggest limiting the use of subjective adjectives and sticking to factual descriptions, avoiding terms like “large” or “huge,” instead describing the event with statements such as “two blocks are filled” or “the crowd stretches across five blocks.”

Emotionally charged words like “peaceful” or “dangerous” should be avoided unless quoting someone or broadcasting their statements.

Journalists covering protests are also advised that they are not required to comply if police request to search or seize their equipment, as the Criminal Procedure Code protects against unwarranted searches or confiscation. Unless an arrest is underway, police cannot inspect or confiscate equipment without a court order.

For reporting on children, the guidelines emphasize avoiding depictions of suffering, humiliation, or children without parents or homes. Journalists should not seek statements from child victims or sensationalize their hardships, abuse, or pain.

“Parental (or guardian) consent is mandatory for any statement or interview with children, as well as approval from educators or institutional representatives (schools, clubs, associations, etc.),” the guidelines specify.

Additionally, the guidelines underscore the media’s responsibility to protect the integrity of all children, including juvenile offenders, whose identities must remain confidential. Media should not speculate about causes, consequences, or the structure of deviant behavior without proper evidence.