Acting upon the Praxis complaint, the Appeals Commission of the Press Council has established that Informer Daily has violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia by publishing the article entitled ”ATTENTION! Malaria, Polio and Bird Flu Arrive with Migrants” as of 1 July 2015.

Praxis pointed out that the title of the disputable text contains a straightforward claim that malaria, polio and bird flu arrive with migrants, even though there is no official data on potential increase of infectious diseases in Serbia. In addition, the disputable article unjustifiably brings anxiety and fear, given that the title of the sidebar also suggests that “each contact with migrants is dangerous”.

The Appeals Commission established that Informer Daily violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia, precisely Item 2 of the Chapter I according to which it is the obligation of journalists and editors to make a clear distinction between the facts they convey, comments, assumptions and speculation; Item 4 of the Chapter V  according to which a journalist must be aware of the danger of discrimination that can be spread by media and shall do everything to avoid discrimination, and Item 8 of the Chapter VI according to which a journalist shall not create unjustified fear.

The members of the Appeals Commission concluded that Informer Daily presented the assumptions of epidemiologists as facts. At the same time, they stated that by “labelling the migrants as transmitters of serious diseases with whom every contact is dangerous, Informer Daily discriminates against the members of the population which passes through our country and which is already prejudiced against”.

Decision by the Appeals Commission is important because it reminds the journalists that when reporting they shall not spread unjustified fear, incite discrimination, as well as of their obligation to make a clear distinction between facts and assumptions.