Acting on the complaint of reader Teodora Radulović for violation of Montenegrin Journalists' Code of Ethics principles I and VII in the text "Tijana died of drowning and lung trauma", published on September 14, 2025 on the Pobjeda portal, the Complaints Commission of the Media Council for Self-Regulation issues the following decision
The commission concludes that the text did not respect the principle of "the story of the other side ", as comments and answers of relevant representatives were not included that would contribute to a better understanding and clarification of the alleged security failures, which is important for providing a complete and balanced report.
At the same time, the Commission respects the position of the Pobjeda editorial team that the text is based on autopsy findings, and the fact that the family, through a lawyer, gave consent to the publication of certain information. The published details aim to draw attention to the security procedures and responsibility of both institutions and responsible companies. Consequently, the Complaints Commission considers that the description of the girl's tragic death, including the moment when "blood comes out of her mouth", is not sensationalistic or aimed at victimizing the victim, and concludes that in this case, Principle VII was not violated.
Explanation
The Media Council for Self-Regulation received a complaint from a reader Teodora Radulović regarding the text published on the Pobjede portal on September 14, 2025, under the title "Tijana passed away from drowning and lung trauma."
The complaint stated that the last moments of the girl were explicitly described in that text - "blood started coming out of her mouth". The reader believes that the editorial staff should have shown more sensitivity towards the victim and her family, who are further disturbed by this and reminded of the tragedy.
"At the same time, these types of texts disturb the public and are sensationalistic; the detailed description of the girl's suffering was unnecessary and disturbing," the complaint states.
The reader points out that, apart from the lawyer of the tragically injured girl's family, there is no other party that would possibly present their position on this tragedy.
"Quotes from the audio recording are listed, but there is no confirmation as to whether they are true or how they were obtained. I think it was not necessary for the public and the family to witness suffering in this way through sensationalism and a detailed description of what preceded the death," stated Radulović.
In the statement of the editorial office of Pobjeda, signed by editor-in-chief Nenad Zečević, it is stated that all the information were obtained from the official autopsy findings and from the family's lawyer. The editors team believe that there was a justified public interest in the publication, as the text also dealt with the security aspects of the tragedy and the responsibility of the institutions.
"The family, through their attorney, gave their consent for certain data to be made public, aware of their sensitivity. Pobjeda's editors believe that in this case there was an indisputable public interest for citizens to become familiar with the circumstances of the tragedy, primarily to draw attention to security failures in the work of companies that provide such services, as well as to the obligation of institutions to react in a timely and decisive manner," the statement reads.
Pobjeda's editors team believe that reporting on these aspects is of key importance in order to prevent similar accidents in the future, but they are also aware that certain details of the text can be shocking and disturbing.
"Our goal was not a sensationalist description of the tragedy, but credible reporting based on official findings and information obtained from family representatives. Published details are included only to the extent that it was necessary to understand the seriousness of the event and the responsibility of those who participated in it," the editorial office said in a statement.
They state that they had relevant and reliable sources: the official findings from the investigation, which are publicly and legally available, as well as the family's lawyer who acted with the consent of the family.
"Although we do not consider that the family was additionally victimized by the publication of this data, we understand the sensitivity of the topic and the reaction of the reader. Pobjeda remains committed to the principles of professional and responsible journalism, with the constant awareness that reporting on tragedies requires special caution and measure," the editorial team said in a statement.
The Complaints commission, considering the complaint and the statement of the editors, concluded that the text did not respect the principle of the other side, because the statements of the company that provided parasailing services, representatives of the competent institutions were not published, nor was a wider background on the system failures referred to by the editors.
This violated Principle I (Accuracy), guidelines 1.2 and 1.3(c), which stipulate that a journalist must report truthfully, precisely and with moderation, without exaggeration and sensationalism.
The commission notes that there is a justified public interest in informing the public about the (possible) untimely action of the competent authorities and the lack of institutional reaction regarding the accident, as well as the unprofessional media treatment of the case in the region — including the publication of speculations about the causes of death and parts of the footage of the event.
The Commission is of the opinion that such phenomena represent a serious social problem and require careful, factual and responsible journalistic reporting.
The Commission recommends that, in order to achieve the public interest - safety and responsibility of institutions - the public should be informed about the context of the investigation, the position of the prosecution and the company responsible for the accident, in order to prevent unilateral conclusions about guilt. The facts must be incorporated into a complete context, and journalists should be critical observers of power holders, aware of the line between public interest and sensationalism.
Pursuant to Article 21 of the Statute of the Media Council for Self-Regulation, the document of this Decision should be published on the Pobjeda portal.
Complaints and Monitoring Commission
Aneta Spaić
Sonja Drobac
Danilo Burzan
Branko Vojičić
Ranko Vujović
