The media workers from the southwestern part of the country, together with the Council of Media Ethics, debated concerning the issue of reporting in COVID-19 circumstances. According to CMEM, the unilateral and sensationalistic reporting were the key observed violations of media reporting that were filed to this self-regulatory body. Furthermore, there were reactions to infringements of human rights pertaining to reporting and neglecting of the vulnerable groups within the society. The Council of Media Ethics was engaged in initiatives aimed at upgrading the ethical framework with reference to reporting, the outcome of which was the drafting of Guidelines for Inclusive Reporting on the Vulnerable Groups in the Society, as well as Guidelines for Ethical Reporting in Online Media.
The representatives of CMEM put forward the findings and data from the conducted analyses in the area of self-regulation, whereas the journalists, correspondents and editors from the afore-stated region shared their experiences concerning the challenges encountered in the course of the pandemic.
‘Cases were reported referring to substantiating of conspiracy theories, violation of privacy and personal data when reporting on persons infected with the Coronavirus. Additionally, the media reported cases of laborious access to public information’, highlighted the Executive Director of the Council of Media Ethics, Ms. Marina Tuneva.
The Program Coordinator and person in charge of receiving the appeals lodged to CMEM, Mr. Daniel Dimitrieski, informed that the number of appeals in 2020 was doubled.
‘Namely, in 2020 we had a total of 140 appeals and this is almost double the number of appeals we received in 2019, when the number of appeals lodged was 83. As for 2020, a total of 109 decisions were reached whereas 18 appeals were classified as unjustified. As for this year, up to present date, 93 appeals have been received, which in comparative terms implies that once again this year we have an increase’, explained Mr. Dimitrieski.
In the course of the debate, the media workers highlighted that the major issue that they encountered in the course of the COVID crisis was the labored access to public information and lack of information on the part of the public institutions. Another challenge was the abundance of misinformation posted on social media, in addition to the rather instable economic situation and the lack of finances in the case of regional and local media.
The online meeting was organized within the framework of the Project Support to Freedom of Expression in the Media in North Macedonia, implemented by CMEM with the support of the EU Delegation to our country.
CMEM appeals to timely and continuous reporting of any cases of unprofessional and non-ethical reporting by filling in the form that may be accessed at www.semm.mk.
The series of meetings on media reporting in COVID-19 circumstances has already taken place in the Southeastern, Eastern, Polog and Southwestern planning region, and shall continue in the other regions of the country.
