On 27 June, 2026, the Media Council for Self-Regulation received an anonymous complaint entitled "Šćepan Mali of Pljevlja in Darmstadt: why this farce does not stop" Pljevaljski Šćepan Mali u Darmštatu: zašto ova farsa ne staje.
The complainant contests the manner in which the column treats the stay, that is, the participation of one person in the work of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt. He states that, in the form of a question, an insinuation is made that implies that such engagement is "unusual or insufficiently explained", and that this ignores the fact that the institute has several forms of involvement of young participants - student programs, research visits and application models without a pre-defined project or formally advertised position. It is concluded that the mere existence of engagement in that institution was not an indicator of irregularities, nor did it require a special explanation in terms of suspicion.
The second part of the objection refers to the age of the person being written about. The complainant points out that he is a high school student and that the expectations regarding the complexity of explanation, methodology and academic form "cannot be equated with the standards of doctoral research or formal scientific papers". He considers it wrong to interpret simplified explanations as a lack of knowledge or scientific value, because in the educational context, especially among young participants, complex phenomena are often presented through basic principles in order to make them understandable.
Along with the complaint, the applicant submits materials which, as he states, support the existence of the engagement and published contributions. He points out that, if the person being written about is still a minor, the publication of such content could have consequences for his development, and if not, he believes that the public is being misinformed.
Acting on the complaint, the Media Council for Self-Regulation informed the complainant on 21 July, 2026, that the portal Otvoreno.me is not a member of the Media Council for Self-Regulation, and that the Council, in accordance with its Statute and competences, is not able to consider complaints related to the reporting of that media. According to the Statute, the Council is authorized to consider exclusively complaints related to the work of the media that are its members.
The Commission for Monitoring and Complaints did not consider this appeal, nor were the allegations from it assessed on merit. The Media Council promptly informed the complainant about the outcome and the reasons for not accepting the appeal and took everything within its competence.
Ranko Vujović
Izvršni sekretar
Medijski savjet za samoregulaciju
