The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, yesterday visited citizens of North Macedonia who were injured in the nightclub fire in Kočani and are being treated in Serbia, accompanied by a large number of journalists, cameramen, and photojournalists. The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns this act, which is not only ethically unacceptable but also endangers the lives of the severely injured.
Aleksandar Vučić decided to exploit the victims of the fire for his own promotion. This time, together with journalists, he chose to make a “visit” and, instead of the competent staff of the Clinical Center of Serbia (CCS), inform the public and the victims’ families about their medical condition.
Media workers who agreed to accompany the President during this visit participated in the exploitation of the injured. Exploiting and manipulating the emotions of victims and their families is a violation of journalistic ethics. We can only assume the potential serious health consequences for critically ill patients, who are in strictly controlled conditions, caused by the presence of individuals who should not be there.
IJAS strongly condemns this action by the authorities and demands accountability for endangering patients’ health. The visit of multiple people who are not clinical staff should never have been allowed. We ask: who permitted this? It is clear that the consent of the patients or their parents for such a visit should never have been requested, and this should have been pointed out by the heads of the Clinical Center of Serbia.
Additionally, pro-government tabloids have shamelessly exploited this tragedy with headlines that cannot even be described as “clickbait” but are a blatant example of the most ruthless violation of victims’ dignity. These are the media outlets that receive the most public funds through project co-financing, public procurement, and other forms of state support. It is high time such media stop being rewarded, and we call on all those who distribute taxpayers’ money to carefully consider whether they will continue supporting such “journalism.”
Furthermore, we urge private advertisers to be mindful of which media they choose to advertise in, as responsible advertising is crucial for protecting the reputation and good standing of individual companies.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS),
Belgrade, March 18, 2025
