Podgorica, (MINA) – The journalists’ Code of Ethics should not be in function of the interest groups which, by using technology for manipulating with people, change values in the society, said member of the former Independent Self-Regulatory Body Jovan Plamenac.
“The journalists code should not be in function of interest groups which use manipulation technology to change value systems of the society, but should not only predict, but also improve public criticism of that engineering”, Plamenac told Mina.
He believes that the social system of values radically changed in short time.
“Thirty years ago it was a simple comment of scientific community to publically say that a homosexual is a sick person. Today it is legal offense to say such a thing publically. The journalists’ code of ethics should be in line with the relevant legal system, a part of which is also the law on media”, said Plamenac.
According to him, the journalists’ code of ethics must be in line with the legal regulations.
“But should not be in the function of war between newly established system of social values and the century old traditions of that same society. Thus, journalists’ code is a changeable category, necessary adjustable to real needs of the times in which their contents are valid”, said Plamenac.
He remarked that the Independent Self-Regulatory Body, which member he was, was deactivated by dedication of a part of its members to the trend of values and political interests and not to their profession.
He reiterated that before and during the referendum on national status of Montenegro, under sponsorship of OSCE mission in Montenegro, the special journalists’ Code of ethics during the pre-referendum period was drafted, signed by the representatives of all Montenegrin media outlets and associations.
Plamenac said that he presented to the OSCE mission in Montenegro plenty of examples of violation of the Code right after the referendum.
“After several days the mission publically stated that all Montenegrin media reported correctly in the period before the referendum. Obviously there was a higher interest to separate Montenegro from Serbia, and that was the interest of the West, endorsed by the OSCE mission in Montenegro”, Plamenac claims.
Asked if the Code can have important role if there is no a body that regulates it, Plamenac said that even with the existence of such body, if it does not respect the Code, it can be just a nice story to tell.
He said that he has no hope that it is possible to form a self-regulatory body in Montenegro that would work objectively, having in mind the situation in Montenegro media and the society.
This text is produced with the financial support of the European Union, through the project of Dealing with Ethics and Fake News, reference number IPA2018/397-252. The content is the exclusive responsibility of the Mina news agency and does not necessarily reflect the positions of the EU. The text may be distributed provided that its source is duly credited.Longer version of article is available on a link MINA ENGLISH SERVIS
