Government "calls on media to work professionally"

The latter is composed of representatives of journalists and media associations, and together they "called on the media and journalists today to adhere to the Code of Journalists of Serbia and to report professionally and ethically, in accordance with public interest," the government announced.

"We urge the media and journalists to refrain from provoking and encouraging racial, national, religious or other hatred and inequality, and we remind them that that is not only prohibited and punishable under the Constitution of Serbia and laws, but that it also has extremely negative consequences to society and democratic processes in it," a pres release said, and added:

"We also recall that the Constitution of Serbia stipulates that everyone has the right to be truthfully, fully and timely informed on issues of public importance and that the media are obliged to respect this right."

We also recall that the Law on Public Information and the Media aims to ensure media pluralism and to protect true, timely, credible and complete informing of citizens in order to improve the democratic values of society, the statement noted.

"We urge all actors of the social and political scene to refrain from any activity that directly or indirectly can jeopardise the freedom of the media, the safety of journalists and other media workers."

"We call on public media services and other media that act in accordance with the principles of public media services to comply with their legal obligations that require them to report on occurrences, events and personalities timely and impartially, to enable the expression of ideas and opinions that are present in the community and to encourage discussion in the spirit of tolerance on all topics of...