Court Case Monitoring: Toward Greater Transparency and Accountability in Human Rights Reporting
The role of the media in shaping the perception of justice is immense. However, when reporting on court proceedings is inaccurate, biased, or unethical, the consequences can be severe—both for individuals and for society as a whole. That is why, as part of the “Media Watchdog – Monitoring for Ethical Reporting on Human Rights Violations” project, CEDEM and the Sociological Center of Montenegro (SOCEN) are launching court case monitoring.
What does court case monitoring involve?
Through this activity, we track and analyze how the media report on court cases related to human rights. The goal is to:
✅ Identify inaccurate, biased, or sensationalist reporting.
✅ Assess the extent to which ethical journalism standards are upheld in court reporting.
✅ Provide recommendations for improving professional and responsible reporting.
Why is this important?
Accurate and ethical reporting on court proceedings directly influences public trust in the judiciary and democracy. Misinformation and sensationalism can undermine the integrity of institutions and the rights of individuals. Therefore, it is the media’s responsibility to report impartially, and our mission is to support them in this endeavor while holding them accountable when necessary.
What’s next?
The monitoring will continue until the end of the project’s second year, after which we will publish a detailed report with analysis and recommendations for improving media coverage of human rights and judicial processes.
Together, we are building responsible journalism and justice accessible to all!
