UNS to Government: Allow journalists to ask questions about coronavirus directly

NEWS 11.04.202012:46
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The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) has urged the government to reconsider its decision that journalists will no longer be able to attend conferences where doctors and government officials answer questions about the coronavirus epidemic.

UNS argued that regular press conferences served to dampen the fears of citizens and that it is crucial to allow journalists to ask experts questions directly to get information that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.

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„UNS believes that the Palace of Serbia provides enough space to accommodate all journalists without anyone’s health being endangered. If this is not possible for whatever reason, we request the Serbian Government to allow journalists to ask questions from their newsrooms via video link or the Internet,” their statement said.

The government announced that, as of Saturday, April 11, journalists will be to sending their questions about the coronavirus situation for the daily press conferences at the Palace of Serbia via email.

The decision was made due to the „growing concerns among journalists, cameramen and photojournalists for their health, and following complaints about their vulnerability at press conferences of the president and members of the government, as well as experts.“