The Independent Broadcasting Regulator for Luxembourg (ALIA) ruled that N1 TV did not violate the rights of a minor in its coverage of a mass protest in 2024.
The complaint against N1’s coverage was filed in Luxembourg where the company Adria news s.à.r.l. is registered. The complaint was about N1’s coverage of a November 5, 2024 protest in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad. The complaint alleged a violation of rules protecting the identity of minors but the ruling said that the statement by a 9 year old boy at the protest without blurring to protect his image was part of the protest coverage and had permission from the parents.
The ruling said that N1 did not violate its obligations under section 26bis of the Luxembourg Law on Electronic Media, adding that only the most serious forms of treatment can constitute a violation of child’s dignity and best interests.
“Only treatment of a certain severity that causes significant harm, whether psychological or physical, can be classified as such. However, in this case, this threshold has clearly not been reached. The mere fact that a minor is identifiable does not constitute a violation of their dignity and is not contrary to their interests. At no point does the programme segment referenced in the complaint seek to humiliate the minor or cause feelings of fear, anxiety, or inferiority. Furthermore, parental consent was granted by the minor’s parents, so the provider did not seek to film him in a harmful manner that violated his dignity,” the ruling said.
“Furthermore, the broadcast context of the programme element must also be considered. The aim was to show that the actions of the Serbian police, including the use of tear gas unselectively, also affected minors present at the demonstration. Thus, given its context and message, the broadcast element is the exact opposite of a fact of violation of the dignity of the minor in question,” the ruling said.
Source: N1
