Details determined regarding the launch of an online platform for recording attacks on journalists
The Protector of Citizens, Zoran Pasalic, met with representatives of the media associations of Serbia today in order to jointly determine all details regarding the proposal for a Cooperation Agreement in the area of establishing a Platform for the protection and improvement of security of journalists in Serbia. The meeting was initiated by the Coalition of journalists' and media associations due to certain ambiguities in the text of the proposal of the Agreement, according to which the first online platform in Serbia for recording all cases of security threats and pressures on journalists and media workers will be launched.
At today's meeting, the coalition representatives suggested that relevant professional associations, which have the “name, membership and work experience behind them”, should participate in the development of the online platform. It was also proposed that the existing databases of NUNS, UNS and the Permanent working group for the security of journalists should be used, which contain recorded cases of attacks and pressures on journalists and media workers. This would be an opportunity to unite these databases in order to obtain as accurate a record as possible of the journalists and media workers at risk, said the meeting participants. In order to operate the online platform as efficiently as possible – as explained by the coalition's representatives – it is first necessary to define the term pressure and what can be considered as pressure. Therefore, every application must be thoroughly checked in order to avoid any possible misuse. The next meeting will be held later this month.
The Protector of Citizens, Zoran Pasalic, submitted to the media associations at the end of July a proposal for a Cooperation Agreement in the area of establishing a Platform for the protection and improvement of security of journalists between the Protector of Citizens and Partners, which was drawn up after a series of meetings with journalists from all over Serbia.