14. 11. 2013

Press Council Decision Satisfaction for Injured

Belgrade, November 14, 2013 (Politika) - Self-regulation in the media sector is better than statutory regulation, but the main problem is that few colleagues report their fellow journalist to the Honor Court, was said yesterday at the first of 12 events to be organized by Media Coalition (Local press, the Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (IJAS), Journalists Association of Serbian (JAS) and the Association of Independent Electronic Media ).

At the meeting held as part of a project which is being implemented in collaboration with USAID , and with the goal to investigate media literacy in Serbia, the importance of the Press Council , a self-regulatory body set up two years ago, was stressed.

In this way , when the journalists themselves decide that a violation of the Code (of Ethics) has taken place, it may be sufficient satisfaction to the injured party. It was concluded that journalists cannot give up anonymous sources and, therefore, that is not most important how a certain information was acquired if it is in public interest.

Dragan Janjic, IJAS Vice President, noted that media freedom is one of the most important indicators of the presence or absence of democracy, but that they cannot be the guarantor of democracy . He said that the tabloids are still pronouncing verdicts, and calling people thieves. Secretary General of the Press Council Gordana Novakovic explained that this body in the last two years examined more than 50 grievance, and that in one half of the cases it was concluded that a violation of the journalistic code (of ethics) took place, due to biased reporting, false accusations ...

Ljiljana Smajlovic, editor-in-chief of "Politika" and JAS President, said it is a real miracle that we are attempting to solve the problems of violation of journalistic ethics by  self-regulation, indicating that it must go to a judicial resolution if former does not work. Our media remind one of the Mafia, with the code of silence, assessed Ljiljana Smajlović, pointing out that the media have the right to shock the public, if it is in the public interest. Anything is better form lifelessness and the conspiracy of silence, even the media which violate the Code (of Ethics) daily.

The editor-in- chief of the daily "Kurir" Sasa Milovanovic said that every day he must make decisions, and there is not enough time to gather all the necessary information, adding that today almost all newspapers and television stations are tabloid. Milovanovic said that the Press Council would work  even better if it included more journalists who are "under fire" each day.