Skopje, 20 March 2020 – The Agency greets the media’s efforts to inform the citizens on the developments related to the Coronavirus in a timely fashion, and the measures that the competent authorities are taking up to ensure protection and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Considering the role of the media at a time when a state of emergency has been declared due to the Coronavirus, the Agency is aware that they may diverge from the programme concepts laid down in the broadcasting licenses granted to them and that they may not be able to consistently comply with certain provisions of the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media. However, the broadcasters should make every effort not to use the pandemic as an excuse to disregard the Law.
In the context of professional and safe performance of their tasks, the Agency advises the media to adhere to the Guidelines for Safe and Professional Reporting on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) prepared by the Association of Journalists and the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia, which provides practical instructions for both professionalism in their work and on how to ensure protection and safety for the media workers.