BIRN's latest report identifies 230 cases of privacy violations in the regular reporting of seven domestic online media outlets as well as 933 cases identified through a special case study, which covered media coverage of protest participants and activists during the anti-lithium mining protests and the protests that followed.
The right to privacy was most often violated tabloid media such as Informer, Alo and Novosti, while the victims are mostly minors and suspects of criminal acts, it is stated in the report.
Although media laws and the journalistic code were amended during the previous year, privacy violations remain a widespread phenomenon, it added. The report reveals how social and technological contexts, such as political tensions, a polarized media scene and algorithmic ecosystems, encourage sensationalism and the misuse of private data.
Children and students
The largest number of violations was recorded during the search for two-year-old Danko Ilić, when the media published personal information, speculations and emotional narratives without adequate respect for the family's privacy.
The second half of 2024 was marked by protests, during which civil activists were the target of discredit campaigns. Tabloids often revealed private information, linked it to political narratives, and labeled them as troublemakers or extremists. This information, often originating from state institutions, was used to intimidate and manipulate public opinion.
"Consistent application of the law and the Serbian Code of Journalists for the protection of privacy must become a standard, with clear sanctions for media that continuously violate ethical norms." In addition, it is necessary to increase support for independent media through transparent competitions in order to strengthen quality and professional work. Finally, educating journalists about ethical reporting and raising public awareness about privacy rights are key to improving the public information system," says the author of the report, Tanja Maksić.
This report points to the worrying trends of sensationalist and ethically questionable media reporting in Serbia, emphasizing the urgent need to solve the problem of privacy violations and strengthen the media's responsibility, adds BIRN.
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