Joint statement regarding media reporting on the tragic incident in Belgrade

The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, the Press Council, the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), having in mind the media coverage of the tragic incident that occurred in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade—where the body of a woman was found last night, and where the police and the competent prosecutor’s office are establishing the circumstances of the case—call on all media to demonstrate the highest level of professional responsibility, restraint, and respect for the rights to privacy and dignity in their reporting.

At a time when the public rightly expects accurate and timely information, it is particularly important to emphasize that tragic events must not serve as a повод for sensationalist reporting, speculation, the publication of unverified information, or the dissemination of details that could lead to the identification of the victim or further harm her dignity, as well as the dignity of those close to her.

The protection of privacy does not only imply refraining from publishing names and surnames, but also from publishing photographs, video recordings, personal and family circumstances, information from social media, and other data that, individually or collectively, could enable the direct or indirect identification of the person concerned. There is a particular responsibility in the digital space, where once published, content spreads rapidly, is replicated, and remains permanently accessible to the public.