The Cyprus Committee of Media Ethics on Wednesday issued an announcement stressing the importance of adhering to journalistic principles, against the backdrop of racially-motivated attacks in Chloraka and rising racial tensions on the island.
The Committee underscored the need for journalists to exercise caution in their coverage of events—verifying information, cross-referencing data, and substantiating presented facts.
Moreover, it urges media professionals to refrain from producing or amplifying hate speech and any other form of discriminatory language or content.
“Hate rhetoric may take the form of denial, derogation, or justification of crimes, as well as the glorification of individuals who committed such crimes,” the Committee noted.
Journalists are also advised to stop using the term “illegal” when referring to migrants, even if it’s employed by sources or involved parties in statements. Instead, appropriate terms that can be used are “migrants,” “undocumented” for those whose status has not been clarified, “refugees,” and “asylum seekers” where applicable, as well as “irregular migrants” when entering the Republic without legal permission.
The Cyprus Committee of Media Ethics is an independent press council, responsible for the self-regulation of the news media.
