Adjudication of the Press Council of Kosovo on the Complaint of Mr. Paul Acda versus “Kosova Sot” newspaper
10 November 2008In its regular meeting held on 30 October 2008, Press Council of Kosovo reviewed the complaint of Mr. Paul Acda Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General of UN, against “Kosova Sot” newspaper in relation to article entitled ”Scandalous, how was KTA archives burnt” dated 08 September 2008, and rendered the following:
A D J U D I C A T I O N
- the complaint is upheld
R E A S O N I N G
Mr Paul Acda complained against “Kosova Sot” newspaper in relation to an article published on 08 September 2008 entitled “Scandalous, how was KTA archives burnt”. In this complaint Acda denies the allegations in the article which say “unidentified individuals” which the newspaper calls “internationals of Pillar IV” where Acda is a chief “have ordered destruction of all materials which are related to privatisation process in Kosovo.
Press Council assessed that Article II, paragraph 2 has been violated which reads ”Journalists and editors shall rely, as a general rule on, identified sources of information”. This article is missing at least one other identifiable source. The article is based only on what was observed by the photographer of the newspaper who, in this concrete case took the role of a journalist, which lacking the professional skills the PCK Code assumes appropriate one thing that one can observe in the published photos is only a bunch of papers that were burnt in a barbecue, but the article does not contain any data or statement of any witness or official that suggest that “KTA archives has been burned” and that “thousands of documents have been burned by turning to ashes six years of KTA’s work”.
Press Council assessed that there was also a violation of Article IV, point 3, of the Press Code which reads “. In reporting and commenting on a controversy, newspapers and periodicals shall make an effort to hear and represent all sides to the argument. If one side in a controversy refuses to make itself available to the journalist, the publication may legitimately note this refusal in its reporting”. In the concrete case no statement was requested from the other party.
Pursuant to the Press Code, the Press Council of Kosovo requests from “Kosova Sot” to publish the presented adjudication in the second or third page of the newspaper.
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