HOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT PRINT AND ON-LINE MEDIA REPORTING
THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT ON ACCURATE AND PROFESSIONALLY PRESENTED INFORMATION
In accordance with the principles of self-regulation for print and on-line media, the active role of citizens, press readers, and web portals visitors, in raising professional standards of print and on-line media reporting is essential and most valuable.
By making a complaint on unprofessional or incompletely presented information in the press and on-line media, discontinuity or disrespect of the BiH Press Code, citizens and journalists fight together for accurate and legitimate information, thus protecting freedom of media and informing, freedom of speech and their right to the truth.
The Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina is your mediator for print and on-line media in BiH.
How to file a complaint?
Send a letter of complaint to the newspaper, online media and magazine content, which you believe breaches an article of the Press Code, asking for publishing of a denial, additional information, correction or an apology.
At the same time, send your reaction to the Press Council’s Secretariat by post or e-mail: [email protected], with an explanation and precise information where and when the article in question was published. If possible, send us the copy of the article in question.
We accept only complaints received within one month for daily papers and two months for weeklies after the publishing of the article in question, or after the editor’s reply to the complaint directly sent to the media in question. For submitting complaints on the content of online media the articles in question have to be available on the portal, there is no specific deadline.
What will happen next?
The Press Council’s Secretariat shall contact the media in question, and if necessary, send a copy of your letter to the Editor in Chief, asking for an comment and explanation, trying to successfully resolve your case by mediation and publishing of your reaction.
If an agreement on publishing your reaction or denial is not possible, the Secretariat shall forward your case to the Complaints Commission, consisting of nine members, representatives of newspaper publishers, journalists and the public.
Members of the Complaints Commission shall analyze the article in question, your reaction, the Editor’s professional explanation and make an adjudication based on generally accepted standards of the B&H Press Code. The adjudications are reached only by consensus.
How to send a complaint:
Via regular post to the address of the Secretariat
Via e-mail address: [email protected]
Via fax: 033 272 271
It is very important that you send us your address and telephone number, as these are needed for your communication with the Secretariat during the case resolving.
Call us if you have any additional question, or visit us, at:
Address: Sarajevo, Trampina 8
Tel: + 387 33 272 270 tel/fax: + 387 33 272 271
Welcome, we are here for you!