Joint Press Release Regarding Tragic Event in Belgrade Reporting
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), taking into account the media reporting on the tragic event that occurred in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, where the body of a woman was found last night, and regarding which the police and the competent prosecutor's office are determining the circumstances of the case, call on all media outlets to demonstrate the highest level of professional responsibility, restraint and respect for the right to privacy and dignity in their reporting.
At a time when the public rightly expects accurate and timely information, it is especially important to remember that tragic events must not be a reason for sensationalist reporting, speculation, publication of unverified information, or for the dissemination of details that may lead to the identification of the victim or further harm her dignity, as well as the dignity of those close to them.
Protecting privacy does not only mean not publishing names, but also refraining from publishing photographs, videos, personal and family circumstances, data from social networks, and other information that, individually or together, may enable the direct or indirect identification of the person in question. A special responsibility exists in the digital space, where once published content quickly spreads, multiplies, and remains permanently available to the public.
