Newsroom
OSCE Mission issues statement condemning violent images in Serbian media
BELGRADE 10 December 2004
BELGRADE, 10 December 2004 - Faced with the increased number of front pages and news broadcasts featuring explicit images of victims of crime and of all forms of violence, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro calls on all professional and other competent institutions in Serbia to address this issue promptly and responsibly.
Whereas the OSCE Mission is convinced that free, independent and strong media are crucial for a stable and functioning democracy, it considers the present and increasing display of violent photographs and images most alarming.
It therefore urges both the application and further improvement of the content regulation framework already existing in Serbia, as well as appropriate reaction on professional and other responsible institutions.
Media indeed have a duty to reflect the fact that violence and crime are a part of every day life. But at the same time, media must take into consideration the fact that depictions of violence and crime may shock or even harm the public.
Moreover, professional standards and responsibility require media to avoid depictions that might lead the public to regard violence and crime as acceptable or incite hatred or violence against an individual or a group of individuals.
Achieving the appropriate balance between responsible content regulation and the overriding imperative of freedom of expression and information is a complex matter.
Universal standards are impossible to set, but general rules of professionalism and ethics, along with the strict obedience of the law, must prevail. In this respect, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro stands ready to assist with all its legal and other available expertise.
Whereas the OSCE Mission is convinced that free, independent and strong media are crucial for a stable and functioning democracy, it considers the present and increasing display of violent photographs and images most alarming.
It therefore urges both the application and further improvement of the content regulation framework already existing in Serbia, as well as appropriate reaction on professional and other responsible institutions.
Media indeed have a duty to reflect the fact that violence and crime are a part of every day life. But at the same time, media must take into consideration the fact that depictions of violence and crime may shock or even harm the public.
Moreover, professional standards and responsibility require media to avoid depictions that might lead the public to regard violence and crime as acceptable or incite hatred or violence against an individual or a group of individuals.
Achieving the appropriate balance between responsible content regulation and the overriding imperative of freedom of expression and information is a complex matter.
Universal standards are impossible to set, but general rules of professionalism and ethics, along with the strict obedience of the law, must prevail. In this respect, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro stands ready to assist with all its legal and other available expertise.