The necessity of adhering to the Journalists’ Code of Ethics and the most frequent violations of ethical standards by the media during pre-election periods were the focus of two debates jointly organized by the Macedonian Institute for Media and the Council of Media Ethics on October 14 and 15 in Bitola and Skopje.
Journalists, editors, and media experts discussed key aspects of professional reporting in the context of elections, while representatives of the Council of Media Ethics—Biljana Georgievska, Mirche Adamchevski, and Tamara Chausidis—presented decisions of the SEMM Complaints Commission to highlight the most common violations of the Code relevant during the pre-election period.
Participants agreed that ethics and professionalism in the work of media and journalists are always important—in every report, every news item, and every investigative story. However, media reporting during election periods carries particular weight, as it directly affects the quality of information citizens receive about electoral options, and thus the final outcome of the election process. Failures to publish accurate and verified information, sensationalism, mixing facts with opinions, spreading hate speech, and misuse of corrections and denials were highlighted as the most frequent violations—not only during elections but also in the regular work of the media.
A large portion of the media today survives on political funding, according to Tamara Chausidis.
“Paid advertising and mandatory election reports fill the news blocks to such an extent that there is hardly any room left for ‘ordinary’ topics. And even when they do appear, they are often colored by the logic of the campaign. Thus, journalism lives in a constant conflict between professional ideals and economic reality, struggling to maintain professional distance—not because it doesn’t know how, but because there is increasingly less space for it. Favoritism, mechanical transmission, and reshaping of facts—or manipulation—are the three most common violations of professional ethics during election times. When it comes to favoritism, the problem is not just propaganda, but the loss of shame about it. Neutrality is no longer even simulated. Party materials are published as news, spokespersons are presented as journalists, and closeness to politicians is an open secret,” Chausidis emphasized.
Through dynamic discussions, participants shared thoughts on further strengthening media self-regulation, the need to align domestic legislation with European standards, and the importance of continuous education to promote responsible journalism and increase public trust in the media.
Co-funded by the European Union
The regional program “Our Media: A civil society action to generate media literacy and activism, counter polarisation and promote dialogue” is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by partner organizations SEENPM, Albanian Media Institute, Mediacentar Sarajevo, Press Council of Kosovo, Montenegrin Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute and Bianet.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Macedonian Institute for Media and SEENPM and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
