NGO Aktiv informs the public that the Press Council of Kosovo, at its session held on 30 October, adopted two separate decisions based on complaints concerning serious violations of professional standards and journalistic ethics committed by several Kosovo media outlets from NGO Aktiv.
1. Decision on the complaint against Gazetaexpress.com, Kosova.info, Radiokosovaelire.com and Faktiditor.ch
The Press Council of Kosovo (PCK) partially upheld NGO Aktiv’s complaint regarding a series of articles containing grave and defamatory accusations, including allegations of “espionage,” surveillance of NGO Aktiv’s director, and other claims widely circulated in online media. The Council found that several portals violated Chapter IV – the right to reply, by failing to contact the organization prior to publication, while other allegations, despite serious insinuations, were not assessed as incitement to hatred under Chapter III of the Code. The complaint was declared partially founded.
2. Decision on the complaint against TV Klan Kosova and the Klankosova.tv portal
In a separate procedure, the (PCK) examined NGO Aktiv’s complaint against TV Klan Kosova and Klankosova.tv for the article and television content titled “How were Kosovo police officers monitored by an NGO close to a Serbian spy?”
The Council determined the following:
• For the TV report broadcast by TV Klan Kosova, the Council is not the competent authority and referred NGO Aktiv to file a complaint with the Independent Media Commission (IMC).
• Regarding the article published on Klankosova.tv, the Council confirmed that the complaint was partially founded, as the medium failed to respect the right to reply (Chapter IV), although no breaches of Chapter II (truthful reporting) or Chapter III (hate speech) were identified.
NGO Aktiv feels that both cases revealed serious shortcomings in professional reporting, and that the published content caused significant reputational damage and security risks for the organization and individuals. Despite the complaints being partially upheld, we believe that the Press Council applied an overly restrictive interpretation of the Code, and that the violations committed by the media were substantially more severe.
The decisions clearly fail to identify unethical reporting, the repeated hate speech broadcast in the programme, and the content that directly encouraged targeting and subsequently fuelled hate speech on social media. Although the complaint was partially upheld, we feel that the (PCK) overlooked the most serious breaches of the Code, thereby effectively minimizing media responsibility and accountability.
Particularly concerning is the repetition of severe and unverified accusations without prior contact with NGO Aktiv, as well as the dissemination of unfounded claims that contribute to the stigmatization and targeting of the organization.
For these reasons, NGO Aktiv:
• Expresses dissatisfaction with the adopted decisions, as they do not reflect the scope and gravity of the violations committed;
• Following the procedure before this self-regulatory body, is initiating legal steps before the competent judicial institutions to protect the reputation, security and professional integrity of the organization.
NGO Aktiv remains committed to promoting ethical, responsible and truthful journalism and will continue to respond to all forms of disinformation and targeting of civil society organizations, media and community members. We particularly oppose the misuse of media outlets for political purposes, where irresponsible political narratives negatively affect the members of all communities in Kosovo.
