REM: There was no abuse of a child in the program "Important Matters" on RTS.
In the program "Important Matters", there was no misuse of minors for political purposes, and the nature of that program content and its participation was adapted to the age, maturity, and reason for participation, in accordance with the Law on Electronic Media, concluded the opinion of the Monitoring and Program Analysis Service of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) following a report from the President of the RTS Management Board.
In the conclusion of the REM service, which was made on October 25 but only recently published on the website, it is stated that there is no reason to initiate an investigative procedure against RTS regarding the program that aired on September 27 of this year.
As a reminder, the reason for the complaint was a statement made by a boy who said he had not gone to school due to blockades and protests, explaining that "students are fighting for justice and for our future."
We are providing the conclusion of the REM Service in full:
“The concept of the program Important Things is based on sincere, direct, and engaging testimonies from children about the reality surrounding them, their own perceptions of relationships among friends, within the family, their dreams, love for animals, as well as more serious topics such as relationships among parents or towards children with special needs.
Among the more serious topics are events at school such as interruptions in classes, the causes of these interruptions, and generally the realities that surround and affect children. Therefore, the statement regarding the reasons for class interruptions as seen through the eyes of the boy cannot be considered an exploitation of the child's participation for political purposes, nor an abuse of his testimony.
The host did not ask suggestive questions in the context of exploitation but rather solely for the purpose of clarifying the interruptions in classes. The exploitation of children for political purposes is considered their participation in activities that do not benefit children but serve the interests of individuals or parties. A child must not be placed in a situation where their ignorance or lack of information, gullibility, or excessive openness is exploited (Code on the Protection of Children from Political Exploitation, authored by Prvoslav S. Plavšić, publisher: Friends of Children of Serbia).
In the given example, the child is not uninformed; based on his own knowledge gained in school, from family, through social networks, or other channels, he expresses how he sees reality and the world. Any other interpretations would contradict the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the right to free expression: ... States parties shall assure to a child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, with due weight being given to the views of the child in accordance with the age and maturity of the child... (Article 12 of the Convention).
The media encourages and is open to children's participation on their platforms and in their programs, as well as their free expression, and not just for their education, information, and entertainment. ... A child has the right to freedom of expression which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally or in writing or in print, in art or through any other media of the child's choice... (Article 13 of the Convention).
The child's appearance was informative, voluntary, and transparent, respecting his views, and in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, which states that children enjoy human rights appropriate to their age and mental maturity.
Moreover, when making a decision on whether children have been exploited in any way and their participation in the program, despite parental consent, the regulator considers whether these performances or appearances have violated the child's rights, dignity, or interests. This dilemma is particularly present in the broadcasting of humanitarian appeals or programs that help children and entire families improve their living conditions. In such situations, the participation of children and minors is deemed justified, as their interest (to obtain a new home, for example) far exceeds the obligation of media service providers to protect the identities of children participating in the program.
In the program “Important Things,” there was no exploitation of minors for political purposes, and the nature of that program content and their participation was appropriate to the age, maturity, and context of participation (Article 66, paragraph 4 of the Law on Electronic Media).
From all of the above, it is considered that there is no reason to initiate an investigative procedure against the Public Media Institution Radio-Television of Serbia, RTS.”
Source: ANEM
