The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, the Press Council, the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (JAS), and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), having in mind media reporting on the tragic incident that occurred in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, where the body of a female person was found last night, while the police and the competent prosecutor’s office are determining the circumstances of the case, call on all media outlets to demonstrate the highest degree of professional responsibility, restraint, and respect for the right to privacy and dignity in their reporting.
At a time when the public rightfully expects accurate and timely information, it is especially important to stress that tragic events must not serve as a reason for sensationalist reporting, speculation, the publication of unverified information, or the dissemination of details that may lead to the identification of the victim or further violate her dignity, as well as the dignity of persons close to her.
Protecting privacy does not imply only refraining from publishing a person’s first and last name, but also refraining from publishing photographs, video footage, personal and family circumstances, data from social media, as well as other information that, individually or collectively, may enable the direct or indirect identification of the person concerned. There is a particular responsibility in the digital sphere, where once-published content spreads quickly, is multiplied, and remains permanently available to the public.
27 March 2026
