BELGRADE, 07.04.2020. – The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia once again warns journalists and the media that while reporting on the spread of COVID -19, of those fell ill or died during the pandemic they must respect the Journalist’s Code of Ethics and the laws of the Republic of Serbia, above all the Law on personal data protection.
In the last couple of days we have witnessed numerous media outlets, especially the print ones, violating human rights of the infected and the dignity of the deceased on a large scale. Reporting on the spread of the virus in the city of Novi Pazar is a blatant example.
The headlines of some daily newspapers, primarily Vecernje Novosti, marked out a person who was found to be the first to be infected with the virus. Additionally, through reporting the media endangered the rights of his loved ones, also infected with the virus. Although no media published the name of the person, by citing his occupation and part of the town where he runs the shop, they clearly indicated who it was. The headlines such as “The baker sowed virus around Pazar” practically stigmatized him and his entire family.
Recent articles on the deceased childhood friend of the President of the Republic are also beyond professional standards, as well as reports on infected state ministries personnel and a considerable number of other articles, especially in tabloids. Journalists are required by the Journalist’s Code of Ethics to respect privacy, dignity and integrity of the people and families they write about, as well as the dignity of the deceased (Chapter VII of the Code).
Television Pink showcased that electronic media do not lag behind when it comes to violation of the right to privacy. Its which in its National news broadcast featured hospital rooms with the most severe patients, slightly blurring their faces. Hospital records on patients’ beds could be seen and quite clearly, a part of the face of an interviewed patients. In this way, TV PINK acted contrary to the obligation to respect the human rights and dignity of the person as regulated by laws on electronic media and, especially, against the regulations that guarantee the protection of data, patients’ rights and identity as personal data.
We remind that both the Law on Patients’ Rights and the Law on Health Care stipulate that the health status and diseases of a person fall within the domain of privacy and must not be published without the explicit consent of the person concerned.
Due to certain texts and articles published in the previous three weeks, IJAS will initiate proceedings before the Complaints Commission of the Press Council and submit a complaint to the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media. By doing so IJAS will clearly point out the unacceptable violations of Journalist’s Code of Ethics during the state of emergency and thus try to prevent the publication of similar texts.
IJAS, April 7th 2020