KOMS Demands Protection for the Youth in Media Reporting

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The Umbrella Youth Organisation of Serbia (original acronym KOMS) demands for the editors of Kurir and Telegraf daily newspapers to be held responsible for the indicent of August 18, 2012, when the website of Kurir daily published a news item, signed by author Marija Veličković, which presents private information and photos of a young man who recently committed suicide. The news was carried, later on the same day, by the website of Telegraf daily.

KOMS Demands Protection for Youth in Media Reporting

„KOMS, as an organization that represents the youth of Serbia, strongly condemns this type of sensationalist journalism that severely violates the right to privacy of the members of the family and the friends of the young man”, says the Umbrella Youth Organisation of Serbia in a public statement.

KOMS states that the article is in clear violation of several provisions of the Code of Journalists of Serbia, including provisions on the obligation of the press to respect the protect the dignity of children, victims of criminal offenses, disabled persons and other vulnerable groups; the obligation to respect the privacy, dignity and integrity of persons that are subject of media coverage; and the obligation to ensure that children will not be exposed to risks through publication of their names, photographs that depict the children’s faces, their houses or local communities.

„KOMS appeals to all media representatives to respect the Code of Journalists of Serbia and to do their jobs professionally, paying care to avoid any possible violation of the privacy of victims, minors, their friends and families“, KOMS adds.

KOMS appealed to all associations of journalists, media photographers and media associations to react to all similar cases and to prevent such incidents from repeating in the future. From the state authorities, the association demands investigation of this and similar cases of publication of identity of minors in the media. They all demand from the two dailies to correct the disputed article, complete with proper apology to the friends and families of the young man. (Source: Civic Initiatives NGO)