The Code of Ethics of Montenegrin Journalists was presented

It included the creation of several manuals, namely on: moderating online comments, reporting on hate speech, monitoring election campaigns, countering misinformation and disinformation, as well as on artificial intelligence and social networks. These manuals initiated and shaped many new provisions in the proposed amendments to the Code of Ethics of Montenegrin Journalists.

The head of the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Montenegro, Jan Haukaas, pointed out that the working group played a central role in the drafting of amendments to the Code.

„Ovi amandmani predstavljaju značajan korak u jačanju samoregulacije i osiguravanju da novinarski standardi budu usklađeni sa promjenljivim realnostima profesije, uključujući korišćenje digitalnih tehnologija, društvenih medija i vještačke inteligencije. Značaj ovog rada čvrsto je utemeljen u obavezama OEBS-a. Države članice su prepoznale da su slobodni, nezavisni i pluralistički mediji neophodni za demokratska društva, kao i za obezbjeđivanje slobode izražavanja, transparentnosti i javne odgovornosti. Snažni sistemi samoregulacije medija dopunjuju ove obaveze pomažući u održavanju profesionalnih standarda uz očuvanje uređivačke nezavisnosti. Robusna medijska samoregulacija medija predstavlja najefikasniju prvu liniju odbrane od dezinformacija, govora mržnje, stranog političkog uplitanja i hibridnih prijetnji,” istakao je Haukas. 

Ažurirani Kodeks uvodi nove i sveobuhvatnije odredbe o komentarima na internetu i govoru mržnje, te unapređuje standarde izvještavanja o pravu na privatnost, političkim izborima, transparentnosti i poštovanju intelektualne svojine.

„Kodeks potvrđuje da tačnost, pravičnost, humanost i istina ostaju u srži novinarstva, dok uvodi nove smjernice o upotrebi vještačke inteligencije, ponašanju na internetu, pravu na odgovor, transparentnosti i zaštiti maloljetnika i žrtava. Njegova upješna primjena zavisiće ne samo od posvećenosti novinara i urednika, već i od razumijevanja i angažmana ukupne javnosti. Zato je Misija OEBS-a posebnu pažnju posvetila podizanju svijesti javnosti o mehanizmima samoregulacije, pomažući građanima da razumiju njihovu svrhu i značaj u očuvanju etičkog i odgovornog novinarstva,” dodao je Haukaas.

Izradu dopunjenog Kodeksa novinara zajednički su podržali misija OEBS-a u Crnoj Gori, UNESCO i Savjet Evrope, a sam Kodeks, rezultat je rada radne grupe koja je tokom proteklih godinu dana radila na dokumentu u procesu koji je obuhvatio konsultacije sa medijskom zajednicom i organizacijama civilnog društva sa ciljem da se uvaže različiti stavovi i postigne što širi profesionalni konsenzus. Kodeks koji je danas predstavljen, revidirana je verzija Kodeksa iz 2015. godine. 

„Od usvajanja prvog kodeksa, medijsko okruženje značajno se promijenilo. Digitalna transformacija, razvoj društvenih mreža, sve prisutnija upotreba vještačke inteligencije, ubrzano širenje dezinformacija i novi oblici govora mržnje otvorili su pitanja koja prije deset godina nisu bila u prvom planu. Zato je bilo neophodno da se ovaj Kodeks revidira i da se prilagodi savremenim izazovima uz očuvanje istinitosti, tačnosti, odgovornosti, profesionalnog integriteta, nezavisnosti, poštovanja ljudskog dostojanstva, vrijednosti koje predstavljaju suštinu novinarske etike i ostaju jednako važne bez obzira na promjenu tehnologije ili načina na koji se informacije plasiraju ili konzumiraju. Zahvaljujući partnerstvu svih ključnih aktera, danas imamo Kodeks, koji nije samo odgovor na izazove savremenog društva, već je dokument koji potvrđuje zajedničku posvećenost najvećim profesionalnim etičkim standardima. U vremenu kada je povjerenje javnosti u informacije ozbiljno poljuljano, upravo etika, odgovornost i djelotvorna samoregulacija predstavljaju jedan od najvažnijih temelja kvalitetnog novinarstva,” istakla je Lejla Dervišagić, Šefica Savjeta Evrope, Programske kancelarije u Podgorici.

The representative of UNESCO, Joshua Massarenti, stated that the revision of the Code of Journalists of Montenegro is timely and necessary.

"This revision ensures that the principles of truth, accuracy, fairness, protection of sources, respect for privacy and human dignity remain fully relevant in the digital age. It also provides clearer guidance on issues that are now part of the daily work of journalists and editors, including the use of social networks, online comments, intellectual property, hate speech, courtroom reporting and, crucially, artificial intelligence. UNESCO particularly welcomes the inclusion of provisions on the use of artificial intelligence. The Code makes it clear that content created, shaped or significantly edited by artificial intelligence should be flagged when it could mislead the public. No content generated by artificial intelligence should be published without human verification and approval, and journalists and editors remain fully responsible for what they publish. This is the key message. Artificial intelligence can support journalism, but it cannot replace editorial judgment, professional or human responsibility," said Massarenti.

Speaking about the importance of the Code today, Ranko Vujović, executive secretary of the Media Council for Self-Regulation, pointed out that ethics in the media and freedom of expression are more important today than ever before.

"Initiatives are coming from global and local addresses that everything should be allowed in the media and that freedom of expression must be absolute. These are dangerous initiatives that threaten to collapse professional and ethical journalism and allow the spread of dangerous and illegal content. Freedom of expression is not absolute and the spread of dangerous content must not be allowed. An example of this is the recent ban in Montenegro of a film full of hate speech," Vujović pointed out.

Joan Barata, professor and international media expert spoke of ethical dilemmas, those related to artificial intelligence.

"The Code of Journalists shows sensitivity to this topic and includes certain ethical dilemmas that may arise in direct or indirect connection with artificial intelligence. For example, the Code emphasizes the need for content generated by artificial intelligence - in cases where such use could mislead media users - to be appropriately labeled. It is known that media houses constantly use artificial intelligence, sometimes only for editorial purposes. This does not mean that every content should be labeled, as this would lead to a kind of saturation marks, and the constant presence of such marks could also cause mistrust towards the media. However, I consider the provisions of the Code to be proportionate and reasonable: they require that the mark must be used for content generated by artificial intelligence if that content can mislead users or cause confusion," said Barata.

The novelty of this Code, when it comes to defining the right to privacy, is contained in the fact that it is not only mentioned as part of principle seven Right to privacy, but also in some other principles, so it is also found in guideline 1.5 Use of social networks, in guideline 3.3 Right to be forgotten and in guideline 5.1 Journalistic research.

"We must keep in mind that the right to privacy is an essential prerequisite for freedom, as without privacy there can be no other freedoms. At the same time, it is a prerequisite for other civil rights and at the same time a way to ensure their preservation in practice. The question that arises here is - what are the limits of individual privacy in relation to the obligation, and task of journalists to communicate the truth to the greatest extent possible. This question is immediately followed by another, which are the facts that cannot be published under any circumstances because they encroach on the rights of other persons and their publication would violate the privacy of those persons. In order to prevent this from happening, media ethics established practical criteria for respecting the privacy of the person being reported on, which the journalist is obliged to respect. This is exactly how the right to privacy begins in our code. However, it is not always easy to determine the criteria of privacy in every situation and whether it takes precedence over the public interest. This puts journalists in the unenviable situation of seeking the most ethical solution and balance between the two goods: the public's right to know and protect the rights to privacy," Ilija Jovićević, ombudsman of the daily newspaper Dan, announced at the conference.

The professor of media law, Aneta Spaić, spoke about how the professional media report on investigations, court proceedings and how they can preserve the basic, constitutional and convention rights stipulated in Article 6 and Article 35 - the right to a fair trial, the right to respect the presumption of innocence, and on the other hand respect for the right to privacy and human dignity.

"Journalists and the media are obliged to respect the presumption of innocence in such a way that they will with particular care and caution publish photos and videos of suspects taken during arrest and detention, which create a perception of guilt and contribute to their stigmatization and public humiliation. Of course, those who report in an impartial, objective and professional manner on what court proceedings are and what they do in the courtroom should not be limited in any way. The basic content of the presumption of innocence is that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise by a final court verdict. This was a segment that we particularly wanted to strengthen through the Code. Especially since, as we have heard, the Law is silent on this matter, and we appeal to the media to be careful about it, so that when a person is acquitted or when a person has obtained a positive outcome of the court proceedings in any other way, it must be published as such. The Code stipulates that a court proceeding must be reported consistently from beginning to end. From the moment when one is suspected until the moment when one’s guilt is established or until the moment when he is acquitted. All phases must be communicated and presented to the public in the same way. What the Code also prescribes is the specificity of protecting the identity of victims of gender-based and sexual violence. Only exceptionally can this identity be revealed, and the same privileged and special status also has the vulnerable category of minors, who must be especially taken care of," said Spaić.

Ivan Ivanović, ombudsman of the public service RTCG, pointed out the importance of the fact that social networks are also included in the Code.

"It is a completely new chapter for self-regulation. Until now, we have not had a way to react to some objections, complaints related to the writing of our journalists on social networks, until now it was somehow a grey area. From today, this grey area will also have to have its own ethical rules of conduct. You should not understand these guidelines as a suppression of freedom of expression, but as an attempt to preserve trust in the journalistic profession. I want to congratulate journalists, first of all, on the new Code of Ethics of Journalists of Montenegro, to read it, to you adhere to the guidelines and principles. That way you will also make job easier for us, the self-regulators," said Ivanović.

The Ethical Code of Journalists of Montenegro was published as part of the UNESCO project, funanced by the European Union, entitled "Building trust in the media in Southeast Europe: Supporting journalism as a public good", which is being implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. The work on the Code was supported by the Council of Europe and the OSCE.

DOWNLOAD Code of Ethics of Journalists of Montenegro, in Montenegrin language

Soon it will be translated into English.

Medijski savjet za samoregulaciju