Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Date: 22 Aug 2003

PRISTINA, 22 August 2003 - The Temporary Media Commission has monitored coverage in recent days of the attack on Serb children at Gorazhdevac with particular attention to the factual accuracy of news reports and commentary.

At all times, professional journalism requires the full and honest presentation of available facts and the clear separation of fact and commentary. In treating events of such tragedy and emotion as the attack on the young people at Gorazhdevac, accurate journalism, the avoidance of speculation and calm, rational commentary are exceptionally important.

The TMC observes that most of Kosovo's print and broadcast media have followed these principles in reporting and commenting on the tragedy at Gorazhdevac. Regrettably, there have been irresponsible and disturbing exceptions.

Both Epoka e Re and Bota Sot have published misleading speculation that the young people were killed or injured by an explosive device, rather than by clearly targeted automatic rifle fire, as if to suggest that the victims themselves were at fault.

In its edition of 20 August, Epoka e Re commendably corrected itself by reporting -- from a news conference held by international organizations in Pristina the day before -- the results of expert autopsies which confirm that the cause of death was automatic rifle fire.

The TMC notes with dismay that Bota Sot, reporting on the same news conference, chose to ignore the crucial autopsy information that conflicts with its baseless speculation about explosive devices. Moreover, Bota Sot has repeatedly implied, and in some cases asserted -- with no evidence whatsoever -- that Serbs were responsible for the attack. In fact there is currently no information about the identity of the guilty parties.

TMC has previously warned Bota Sot, and we do so now publicly, that its biased selection of certain facts in this story, and its disregard of authoritative information and its distortion of other information -- combined with a steady flow of inflamed and ethnically prejudiced speculation and commentary -- risks inciting further tragedy in Kosovo.

The institution of the Temporary Media Commissioner was established on 17 June 2000. It is an independent body and receives administrative support from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. It acts as the regulatory agency for broadcast media and is responsible for the implementation of a temporary licensing regime.