PRESENTATION OF THE CODE OF JOURNALISTS OF SERBIA

11. December 2013.

The Code of Journalists of Serbia was presented on the premises of the OSCE Office in Bujanovac, while the text of the said Code was translated into Albanian and Roma.  The presentation was attended by representatives of TV "Presevo," TV "Spectra", RTV "Aldi", RTV "Bujanovac", an independent news portal "Titulli" and by journalists of the Belgrade-based daily "Blic".

Zlatko Minic, one of the authors of the Code, said that the NUNS and UNS associations had adopted the mentioned Code six years before, as well as that the Code regulated the basic principles of journalists’ work, their relations towards persons and their right to report on events.

Secretary of the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS), Svetozar Rakovic, said that the Code of Journalists was mostly not respected.

"Unfortunately, many people don’t respect the codes of ethics of their professions and, in this particular case, it’s the Code of Journalists. I can freely say that the rules are often violated by journalists, authors, editors and media owners, "said Mr. Rakovic in Bujanovac.

Director of "Spectra" television in Bujanovac, Jeton Ismaili, expressed concern about the work of some of the media and journalists in the municipalities of Bujanovac and Presevo, which according to him, didn’t comply with the code of practice.

"Our town lacks professionalism in journalism and there is a huge irresponsibility to newspaper articles and unfair competition in the financing of the local media," said Mr. Ismaili.

The "Code of Journalists of Serbia" project is funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and it has been translated into all the languages of the minorities living in Serbia.

Source: Titulli and Coordination Body