Centre for Civic Education (CCE) welcomes the fact that the majority of our comments and suggestions on the Draft Code of Ethics for Journalists of Montenegro have been incorporated into the final version of the document, which was presented today. Our recommendations primarily concerned the clearly defined obligation to respect the presumption of innocence, strengthened protection of privacy and of victims of gender-based violence, as well as a better-positioned treatment of sources.
CCE analysed the draft revised Code in November 2025, when it was presented at a discussion organised by the Council of Europe in Podgorica, within the project “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in Montenegro”, implemented by the Council of Europe Programme Office in cooperation with the OSCE Mission. On that occasion, CCE welcomed the guidelines that provide more detailed guidance on maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards and defining due journalistic care, the right of journalists to refuse an assignment contrary to the Code, the obligation of editors to inform journalists about interventions in their texts, as well as amendments relating to the right to be forgotten, the use of social media, the use of artificial intelligence and online comments – novelties that have been retained in the final version of the Code. At the same time, we warned of a number of amendments that were unfounded or dangerous.
By comparing the draft and the final text, CCE notes that the most serious objections were accepted. With regard to Principle 9, which regulates reporting on investigations and court proceedings, the draft envisaged a formulation according to which journalists would “recognise” that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty, instead of respecting that presumption as an obligation. In the final version, the obligation to respect the presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings is clearly defined, along with recommendations for reporting in such cases. The right to privacy has also been defined more precisely, as has the protection of the privacy of victims of gender-based violence, while the treatment of sources has been positioned in the manner recommended by CCE. The objection concerning Principle 4 has also been partially clarified, as the draft had deleted the reference to gender-related orientation as a characteristic that must not be highlighted unless it is in the public interest. The final guidelines accompanying Principle 4 now mention gender-related orientation, while the guidelines on hate speech retain gender identity as a ground for protection against discrimination.
However, the objections concerning Principle 5 have not been accepted. The formulation has been retained according to which the use of hidden cameras and other electronic means for covert investigations is acceptable solely for the purpose of reporting on matters of public interest and when no other methods can be used, instead of making the use of such means conditional upon compliance with the law, as proposed by CCE.
CCE welcomes the fact that the majority of its objections have been integrated into the final text, but also points out that the open issues regarding covert investigations leave room for deviations from professional standards and best European practices.
The new Code of Ethics for Journalists of Montenegro was presented today within the project “Building Trust in Media in South-East Europe: Support to Journalism as a Public Good”, funded by the European Union. The presentation was organised by the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, the UNESCO Office and the Media Council for Self-Regulation.
Željka Zvicer, Programme Associate