Press Council on Đuro Macut's Complaint: KRIK Did Not Violate Code, Complaint Intended to Harm Editorial Office
KRIK did not violate the Serbian Journalists' Code of Ethics in its articles about the property of Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut, and the journalists of this newsroom acted with 'due journalistic diligence' when reporting on it, the Appeals Commission of the Press Council determined last week. 'I think this complaint has a harassing intention – that the real intention is not the protection of rights, but to somehow harm the media against which the complaint is filed,' assessed Milena Vasić, a member of the commission and a lawyer from Yucom.
TL;DR
- The Press Council's Appeals Commission found KRIK did not violate the Serbian Journalists' Code of Ethics in articles about Prime Minister Đuro Macut's property.
- Journalists from KRIK were determined to have acted with 'due journalistic diligence'.
- The commission considered Macut's complaint to have a 'harassing intention' and to be aimed at harming the news outlet.
- Macut's complaint was filed a year after the articles were published, and the commission noted he did not respond to KRIK's questions, instead posting a denial on Instagram.
- Commission members highlighted that public officials are obligated to answer media questions.
- KRIK's reporting revealed Macut's assets are worth over 2.5 million euros, including a villa purchased the day before he became prime minister, with the origin of funds for which he has not fully explained.
- Macut compared himself to the assassinated Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in his complaint, a comparison deemed 'inappropriate' by commission members.