The Council on Media Ethics has addressed media not to abuse their role and not to serve as a platform for fueling and increasing tensions in society.
The media reports, the Council said, must be truthful and not initiate polemics which will spark up tensions.
"The Council on Media Ethics, monitoring the media reporting after the latest political turmoil and the citizens' reactions, reminds the media not to abuse their role and not to serve as a platform for fueling and increasing tensions in society. Taking into consideration the fundamental right of media freedom, we remind the journalists and editors that media reporting must be truthful and not to initiate polemics and discussions which will spark tensions and worsen the relations between the citizens," the Wednesday-issued press release of the Council read.
The council pointed that the media must act in such way that makes them different from regular information leakers, and that they need to apply their role as pacifiers of the tensions in society, especially in cases when they inform of possible escalation of the situation.
"They need to elaborate the facts, the participants in the events, the different positions and issues, as well as analytically investigate the situation. It is not journalistically acceptable to develop and build debates based on lies which would misdirect the citizens. Reporting and making space for speculation is equal to spreading lies and propaganda, contrary to the balanced and professional informing," the Council stated.
The media, especially the internet portals, the release read, cannot be abused and serve as a medium for propaganda and for calls to unite individuals and groups for radical conduct that endangers the public peace and order.
"Supporting the right of the civic activists to serve as sources of information for the events, we remind media of their role to be careful of the credibility of the information sources, to use more sources, to report with credibility and to give objective and balanced reports over the events in their truthful context," the release read.
The Council demanded to maintain the professionalism level and not to allow lies, semi-truths, and one-sided information which media would offer to the people as verified and truthful news.