Media criticized over coverage of mass murder

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) on Monday warned that Belgrade media violated the Journalists' Code when they reported about a shooting spree.

Izvor: Beta

Monday, 15.04.2013.

11:45

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BELGRADE The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) on Monday warned that Belgrade media violated the Journalists' Code when they reported about a shooting spree. A man, who in the meantime died of self-inflicted wounds, was suspected of shooting and killing 13 people in the village of Velika Ivanca last week. Media criticized over coverage of mass murder UNS said in a statement that tabloids Kurir, Informer, Blic, Alo, and Nase Novine "particularly prominently" engaged in this type of activity, and urged all colleagues "to go back to respecting the privacy, dignity and integrity" of the persons they report about, and added: "UNS shares the indignation felt by a sizable portion of our public over the fact that the coverage of the mass murder produced a mass violation of the Journalists' Code." The statement went on to say that tabloids have been abusing the shock and disbelief felt by Serbians, "that is to say, their need to learn many details about the crime and comprehend how something of the kind could have taken place at all." The code of ethics that is supposed to govern the actions of journalists and their editors, UNS noted, means that while covering accidents and tragedies that produce victims, reporters must do so in the spirit of compassion and discretely, avoiding speculation or insufficiently verified claims. "Journalists are also bound by law to respect the presumption of innocence. These provisions of the Code, and many valid social norms, have been mocked in huge headlines that speculate about the motives of 'the monster', the role of an alleged 'whore', the supposed 'evil gene', and fabricated events dating back to the 17th century and astrological nonsense," the UNS statement said. This journalist association also noted that it received many complaints from the citizens dissatisfied with the manner in which some Belgrade media chose to report about the horrific crime that was committed in Velika Ivanca. The UNS logo (file) Beta

Media criticized over coverage of mass murder

UNS said in a statement that tabloids Kurir, Informer, Blic, Alo, and Naše Novine "particularly prominently" engaged in this type of activity, and urged all colleagues "to go back to respecting the privacy, dignity and integrity" of the persons they report about, and added:

"UNS shares the indignation felt by a sizable portion of our public over the fact that the coverage of the mass murder produced a mass violation of the Journalists' Code."

The statement went on to say that tabloids have been abusing the shock and disbelief felt by Serbians, "that is to say, their need to learn many details about the crime and comprehend how something of the kind could have taken place at all."

The code of ethics that is supposed to govern the actions of journalists and their editors, UNS noted, means that while covering accidents and tragedies that produce victims, reporters must do so in the spirit of compassion and discretely, avoiding speculation or insufficiently verified claims.

"Journalists are also bound by law to respect the presumption of innocence. These provisions of the Code, and many valid social norms, have been mocked in huge headlines that speculate about the motives of 'the monster', the role of an alleged 'whore', the supposed 'evil gene', and fabricated events dating back to the 17th century and astrological nonsense," the UNS statement said.

This journalist association also noted that it received many complaints from the citizens dissatisfied with the manner in which some Belgrade media chose to report about the horrific crime that was committed in Velika Ivanča.

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