Media situation in Serbia

Journalism in Serbia is going through a serious crisis. Assistance from the Serbian government, the Brussels and international professional associations is necessary to find a solution – this is the opinion of the president of the European Federation of Journalists, Arne König, and the general director of Radio-Television Serbia, Aleksandar Tijanic. Tijanic has informed König about the problems and pressures that the public service broadcaster of Serbia is exposed to.
(Fonet, Press, 15.06.2011)

Taking into account the size of the country and its population, more than a thousand registered media outlets in Serbia is way too much, considering that the advertising market cannot support so many outlets, says Gregory Pitts, head of the Communications Department of the American University of North Alabama. In their effort to emerge from the crisis, the media do not need better journalists, but "more capable managers", claims Pitts.
(Danas, 20.06.2011)

Dismissal of Antonije Kovacevic, the editor-in-chief of the Alo newspaper, motivated the journalists from the Pravda daily to investigate whether the media in Serbia are free from political pressures and how freely they can report. The president of the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), Ljiljana Smajlovic, says that the situation is worsening and that pressures are obvious. The president of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), Vukasin Obradovic, is of the opinion that journalism has been reduced to a humiliating level and that all fundamental freedoms are under attack. Former editor-in-chief of NIN and the author of the book "Disappearance of Free Media", Slobodan Reljic, says: "I cannot recall any time in history when Serbia had a government whose perception of the real situation in the county was so removed from the reality in which we citizens live. This government is using all available means to create the picture of its own illusions in the media. The question is – how long is the public going to tolerate that?"
(Pravda, 12.06.2011)

The government and the media

It is nice when all the ministers agree and work to protect the Government, but censorship is inappropriate in Serbia in this century and at this stage of European integration, said the coordinator for public relations of the Government of Serbia, Slobodan Homen, and added that all ministers are free to talk to the media.
(FoNet, Politika, Danas, 10.06.2011)

The city board of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has condemned the violation of the freedom of public informing resulting from the increasing pressure applied by the local government in Zrenjanin. The SNS claims that the city government finances the media, but at the same time controls them using hidden threats and special directives about their reporting.
(Vecernje Novosti, 16.06.2011)

In a joint statement, media organizations and associations voiced their concern caused by recommendations issued by the relevant ministries to local self-governments about the allocation of budget funds to media outlets.
(Beta, Danas, Politika, 21.06.2011)

Recommendations to units of local self-government with regard to allocation and distribution of budget funds intended for media outlets are available at the web address www.kultura.gov.rs/?jez=&p=6093
(The Ministry of Culture, 14.6.2011)

Annual Assembly of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) in Belgrade

Participants of the 3-day Assembly of the European Federation of Journalists, hosted by the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Journalists' Union of Serbia, agreed that journalism is one of the most threatened professions. Most of the journalists from the region considered that all of the media employees in former Yugoslavian republics find themselves in a similar bad situation.
(Danas – special issue, 15.06.2011, Pravda, 16.06.2011)

The state cannot own media outlets, but even in the European Union there are numerous dilemmas about this issue and various models for solutions, said the president of Serbia, Boris Tadic, at the opening of the annual Assembly of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) in Belgrade. The president of the EFJ, Arne König, pointed out that many journalists in Serbia are out of work, that they are exposed to political pressures and that the quality of journalism in Serbia is dropping.
(Tanjug, Pregled, Danas, Vecernje Novosti, Kurir, Alo!, 16.06.2011)

The president of Serbia, Boris Tadic, announced the adoption of a law that would regulate the status of journalists, as well as the contribution of the media to transformation of the Serbian society, and added that the state wants to participate in the public debate on media strategy.
(Blic, 16.06.2011)

The media in Serbia are faced with political pressure, lowering quality of content, financing problems, as well as obstacles in the area of local and regional media – says to Danas daily Arne König, the president of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). What is important is that people should organize themselves and form trade unions – without a social dialog, working conditions for employees worsen and business results suffer, emphasizes König.
(Danas, 17.06.2011)

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded its annual assembly with the message that the media in today's Europe have many serious problems, while journalists are exposed to threats and violations of their fundamental rights. The EFJ has given its support to Spanish journalists' initiative to boycott press conferences where journalists are not allowed to ask questions, as well as to protect journalists who decide not to report on such events. The EFJ has also supported the initiative to make equal the status of temporary employees and full-time journalists.
(UNS, 17.06.2011, Blic, Danas, 18.06.2011)

Case of Alo daily

Antonije Kovacevic, who was the editor-in-chief of the Alo newspaper, has been removed from his position. The decision is effective immediately, said the general director of the Ringier Aksel Springer d.o.o. company, Jelena Drakulic-Petrovic.
(Blic, Danas, 10.06.2011)

The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) reminds that Antonije Kovacevic was dismissed only three days after his public opposition to the pressure exerted by the president of Serbia with the aim to influence the editorial policy of the magazine.
(UNS, 10.06.2011)

The decision to remove Antonije Kovacevic from position is not the result of political pressure and Boris Tadic has nothing to do with it, said the owner of the Ringier company, Michael Ringier. He added that Kovacevic had "crossed the red line" in his reporting on Ratko Mladic, because it is immoral and contrary to principles of good journalism to write six pages about Mladic without mentioning the crimes he is accused of.
(UNS,10.06.2011, Blic,11.06.2011)

Vukasin Obradovic, the president of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), writes in the Danas daily newspaper: "I am not opposed to the removal of Kovacevic from his position. On the contrary, even before the arrest of Mladic, the Alo magazine had published numerous articles that violated professional standards and the Code of Ethics. It cannot be considered an exemplar of 'free journalism'. However, I am deeply opposed to the reason and the manner in which Kovacevic's head was served on a plate to Tadic, together with a servile smile, during his dinner with the leaders of the Ringier Aksel Springer company. Instead of the promised wide-ranging media reform and, above all, lustration of promoters of warmongering journalism, political pragmatism has prevailed after October 5 and most of the Serbian media outlets are under strict control of the government. Consequences of this situation have been disastrous and they certainly deserve much more attention than a single question and answer in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung."
(Danas, 13.06.2011)

Djoko Kesic, the editor of the Press daily newspaper, writes in his editorial: "Instead of disagreeing with the question – 'why doesn't the Alo daily support the official state policy?' – president Tadic says that it is impermissible that a foreign publisher in Serbia publishes a newspaper which does not support Serbian state interests. Today, the media are involved with tycoons from the government and around the government, and a vicious circle has been created, a contract with the devil has been signed in an attempt to ensure mutual survival – a result of the lack of brains and money. This is where the meaning of journalism has been lost.“
(Press, 14.06.2011)

The case of Pescanik

The editors of Pescanik, Svetlana Lukic and Svetlana Vukovic, demanded that TV B92 apologize for inviting Ljiljana Bulatovic and Kosta Cavoski in their programme, who openly denied genocide and disputed the victims killed in Srebrenica. B92 refused to apologize to viewers and families of the victims, which is why the editors of Pescanik decided to quit cooperation with the media company after 11 years.
(e – Novine, 10.06.2011)

In his comment published in the Danas daily newspaper, journalist Milos Vasic writes: "The freedom of the press does not amount to tabloid garbage, nor racist or chauvinistic excesses, performances of spiritless so-called 'humorists', nor gladiator-like circuses in TV 'debates'. The freedom of the press means that journalists are able to do their job in public interest; everything else is show-business. This is slowly becoming evident in RTV B92: less news, less political stories, especially those that are too sensitive; more sports and more Lady Gaga. 'Insider' is out, 'Pescanik' is out. 'Debate' with Kosta Cavoski and Lilja Bulatovic is in."
(Danas, 13.06.2011)

A lawsuit has just begun before the Higher Court in Belgrade, initiated by the director Emir Kusturica against the editor of the e-Novine portal, Petar Lukovic. Kusturica demands compensation in the amount of two million dinars because of damage to reputation and honor caused by the article 'New Year's Fairy Tale for Murderers'. Apart from Lukovic, authors of the article have also been sued. The article was taken from the web sate of Pescanik. The media company B92, which owns the web domain, was also sued.
(Tanjug, Dnevnik, Blic, 09.06.2011)

Professor of media culture and media aesthetics, Zeljko Vuckovic, said that the media in Serbia had not used the chance to critically analyze the events during the armed conflicts of the 90s and the crimes that were committed, including their role during that period. In his words, numerous examples prove that the pattern that was typical in the media scene during the nineties has not changed – from the sensationalism in media reports that followed the arrest of Ratko Mladic, to the recent case of Pescanik.
(Dnevnik, 19.06.2011)

On murders of journalists

Before he was murdered in front of his own home, Milan Pantic had been publishing investigative reports in Vecernje Novosti for many months about criminal affairs in Jagodina and Pomoravski District. He did his job courageously, which was obviously a threat to criminal groups close to the political power at the time, remind his colleagues from Vecernje Novosti on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his murder.
(Vecernje Novosti, 10.06.2011)

Reports made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs – that were made available to the Blic daily newspaper – indicate that the police investigation of the murder of journalist Milan Pantic has involved several prominent politicians and businessmen from Jagodina. The police has also investigated three persons from Belgrade. More than 1,500 persons have been covered by the investigation so far.
(Pravda, 11.06.2011, Blic, 16.06.2011)

A memorial bust of journalist Milan Pantic was uncovered in Jagodina. On this occasion, the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) points out that Serbia is continuing its practice of dedicating monuments, streets and squares to journalists, instead of solving their murders.
(Danas, 13.06.2011)

Journalists from Serbia, Pomoravlje and Jagodina, who gathered to mark the tenth anniversary of the murder of journalist Milan Pantic, demanded that the Serbian government, the police and judiciary complete the investigation and arrest the murderers and those who ordered the murders of journalists in Serbia. The memorial bust of Milan Pantic was uncovered by the deputy mayor of Jagodina, the president of the Journalists' Association of Serbia and the editor of Vecernje Novosti, Milos Antic.
(Tanjug, Politika, Blic, Alo!, Press, 12.06.2011)

In his address to the participants of the Assembly of the European Federation of Journalists, president Boris Tadic said that he was convinced that the murderers of journalists in Serbia would be identified and that this issue is his personal mission.
(Tanjug, Politika, 16.06.2011)

Attacks, threats and legal proceedings against the media and journalists

The management of RTV Smederevo has not allowed the editor-in-chief of Radio Smederevo, Dejan Djoric, to attend the annual assembly of the European Federation of Journalists in Belgrade, despite the fact that he was accredited. Djoric is also the coordinator of the Journalists' Union of Serbia for Podunavski and Branicevski District.
(Blic - Srbija, 15.06.2011)

The media in the region are surprised by the verdict against the Press daily newspaper which was punished because of readers' comments that were offensive to the LGBT population. Croatian Jutarnji List writes: "Precedent in Serbia: Press portal punished for offensive readers' comments", adding that this is the first verdict against a media outlet that was justified by comments of its readers.
(Press, 09.06.2011)

On the occasion of NATO bombing of Radio-Television Serbia

Families of the victims of NATO bombing of Radio-Television Serbia demanded yesterday that NATO allow an independent investigation about circumstances that led to the bombing of the RTS building. "Such an investigation would entail that NATO offer all documents and evidence related to the case", says the message sent by the families of the victims to organizers of the Strategic Military Conference of NATO and partner countries.
(Beta, Politika, Pravda, 14.06.2011)

Appointment of members of the Managing Board of the Public Service Broadcaster

On behalf of 40 non-governmental organizations and seven individuals, the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV) has submitted to the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) an initiative to remove Dalibor Bubnjevic from the position of a member of the Managing Board of Radio-Television Vojvodina. Bubnjevic worked as the head of marketing for promotion of the book "The Case of Nacionalni Stroj authored by Goran Davidovic Firer.
(Tanjug, Dnevnik, NUNS, Blic, 09.06.2011)

The professional trade union of Radio-Television Vojvodina has joined the initiative – supported by 40 non-governmental organizations – to dismiss Dalibor Bubnjevic from the Managing Board of the media company.
(Danas, 14.06.2011)

Five candidates who applied for the position of the general director of RTV Vojvodina have fulfilled the conditions - Mladen Drazetin, Predrag Perisić, Sinisa Isakov, Dragan Guzijan and Jovan M. Jovanovic. The chosen candidate will replace Blaza Popovic who was removed from position in April this year.
(Danas, 15.06.2011, Dnevnik, 17.06.2011)

The Media Strategy

Five public debates about the draft media strategy will be held in Serbia during June 2011. The first debate will be held on June 13 in Kragujevac, followed by debates in Novi Pazar on June 20, in Novi Sad on June 23, in Nis on June 24 and Belgrade on June 27. After the end of the public debate, in the beginning of July, the relevant Ministry will propose that the Government of Serbia adopt the document harmonized with all stakeholders.
(Dnevnik, Blic, 11.06.2011)

The Draft Strategy envisions that the Law on Advertising would stipulate measures of positive discrimination in favor of print media outlets and certain advantages for advertisers. As one of the steps aimed at solving the problem of reduced revenue from advertising in the press, the proposed strategy calls for consistent implementation of the existing regulations related to advertising in electronic media outlets, reports Danas.
(Danas, 13.06.2011)

The Draft Media Strategy points out that the TV fee is the main form of financing of the public service broadcaster, and that commercial revenue is also possible. The possibility of additional limitations to advertising on the public service broadcaster will also be considered after the TV fee-based revenue reaches the level that is required for its basic functions.
(Danas, 13.06.2011)

The basis of the draft strategies is to withdraw the state from media outlets, not later than 18 months after the day of adoption of the Strategy by the Parliament of Serbia. The state secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Dragana Milicievic-Milutinovic, said that the withdrawal of the state from ownership over media outlets entails privatization or conversion of state ownership into stocks.
(Vecernje Novosti, 14.06.2011)

The new Draft Strategy for Development of the Media in Serbia has again sparked the debates about the issue of ownership over the minority media. The Strategy envisions that the state and local self-governments cannot own media outlets, and that the minority media should also be privatized. However, the president of the Hungarian National Council, Tamas Korhec, considers that such a strategy would be unacceptable because "the document does not say how the state is supposed to provide special budget funds that are required for the minority media", since the minority media cannot survive under strict market conditions. The president of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), Dinko Gruhonjic, believes that the Strategy should be further developed, and reminds of the specific position of the minority media. Gruhonjic claims that "many contributors to the local media do not know the fundamentals of journalism anymore and leave the impression that they work as employees of propaganda offices of local governments". He points out that it is necessary to find a solution that would provide the minority media a permanent and reliable support that is required for their true independence.
(Danas, 14.06.2011)

The leader of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), Istvan Pastor, and the president of the National Council of Hungarians, Tamas Korhec, are opposed to the proposal that the media in minority languages in Serbia should be privatized. Tamas Korhec said to Magyar Szo that if the suggestions voiced by the National Council were not adopted, they would try to fight against the Strategy with assistance from members of parliament from the SVM and other national minorities' political parties.
(Beta, Danas, 11.06.2011)

A certain number of local media outlets is opposed to the mandatory privatization that is prescribed by the Draft Strategy for Development of the Public Informing System in Serbia until 2016. Urban radio and TV stations that are financed from municipal budgets say that privatization will be disastrous to them, just like it has been in the case of most of the privatized media outlets. The president of the Journalists' Union of Serbia, Dragana Cabarkapa, demands publication of the analysis of the privatized media outlets: "Out of 50 privatizations, a half of them has been annulled because journalists had not been paid, their contributions had not been paid, and they had worked without any wages or collective contracts".
(Blic - Srbija, 14.06.2011)

The minister of culture, informing and information society, Predrag Markovic, said that "the Media Strategy and the behaviour of the political elite during the adoption of the laws resulting from the Strategy" will decide whether the state would withdraw from media ownership. The minister added that such a provision was stipulated already in the Constitution of Serbia of 1903, which said that "the press in Serbia is free". In its answers to questions from the European Commission Questionnaire, the Government of Serbia has accepted the obligation to adopt the Media Strategy during the first half of the year.
(Politika, 13.06.2011)

The omission of the possibility of founding regional public service broadcasters from the proposed media strategy is a proof of double standards. On the one hand, the city of Belgrade is allowed to have its own public service broadcaster – Studio B, and the same can be said of Vojvodina – RTV, while Kragujevac, Nis, Novi Pazar, Uzice and other cities in the so-called Serbian province are not allowed to do the same, says the public statement issued by a non-governmental organization from Kragujevac, Sumadijska Regija.
(Danas, 09.06.2011)

The Journalists' Union of Serbia has voiced a protest because it was not included in the activities on preparation of the media strategy and because it was not invited to the debate on the document which directly affects the media employees.
(Pravda, 09.06.2011)

Commenting on the draft media strategy, the expert contributor to the Institute of Social Sciences, Jovanka Matic, said: "All the basic principles mentioned by the Draft Strategy are beyond dispute. However, their elaboration has failed to take into account the most important problems in the current phase of media development, the high-priority goals in the next five years, and specific solutions that would turn these principles into practice within a completely new technological environment characterized by digitalization. Identification of these problems – incoherent and obsolete legal regulations; too many media outlets in a poor market that cannot provide their economic sustainability; incomplete privatization; survival of illegal broadcasters; unequal position of media outlets in the market; non-transparent media ownership; existence of oligopolies in the advertising market; appearance of monopoly in the press market; inadequate functioning of the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA); threatened survival of many local media outlets; mass violations of the freedom of the media; general commercialization and tabloidization; inadequate content offered by public service broadcasters; the lack of pluralism and diversity of media content; neglected needs of children and youth; difficult economic position of journalists; low reputation of the journalistic profession; low level of education of journalists – would face the decision-makers with the consequences of several decades of avoidance of consistent reforms in the media system."
(MC Newsletter, 17.06.2011)

In her comment published on the web site of the Media Center Belgrade, Jovanka Marovic writes: "The media scene has not been democratized, the political influence on the media has not been reduced, investment in privatized media companies has not increased, while the journalistic profession and the public have not seen any improvements... In cooperation with European Commission experts, the Ministry of Culture presented the Media Study, and later forgot about it. Now we have a new Draft Strategy that insists on continued privatization. For all these reasons, media companies that are members of the Kragujevac Initiative still insist on formation of regional public service broadcasters. The Kragujevac Initiative proposes transformation of non-privatized companies into regional public service broadcasters."
(MC Newsletter, 17.06.2011)

The Managing Board of the Media Association agrees with the parts of the strategy that are related to the following: media ownership; the role of the state; exclusively project-based budget financing of all media outlets, especially the local media; stimulating measures for print media. Regarding the issues that the Association disagrees with, the Managing Board will send specific proposals to the Ministry of Culture and Public Informing.
(Vecernje Novosti, Blic, Politika,17.06.2011, Dnevnik, 18.06.20)

At the second public discussion on the draft media strategy in Novi Pazar, a member of the Working Group for Preparation of the Media Strategy of Serbia, Zoran Sekulic, said that state ownership in certain media outlets allows political abuses and that the document prescribes that the state should withdraw from media ownership.
(Dnevnik, 21.06.2011)

The minority media

The Government of Vojvodina is strongly opposed to the idea of privatizing multi-language media outlets and demands that they remain in the ownership of local self-governments, said the Province's Secretariat for Information.
(Dnevnik, Pravda, Press, 17.06.2011)

At its session held on June 20, the Managing Board of the public company Magyar Szó proposed the founder of the newspaper, the Hungarian National Council, to remove from position the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Magyar Szó, Csaba Pressburger, and to appoint as the acting editor-in-chief the contributor to the newspaper, Marta Varja. The Board is of the opinion that there have been many mistakes in the editorial policy during the previous period, and that its decision is justified because the newspaper is financed from the budgets of Vojvodina and Hungary and at the same time plagued with persistent editorial mistakes and constant ommision of certain issues.
(NDNV, 20.06.2011)

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) and the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNS) are of the opinion that the decision of the managing board of the Magyar Szó company to initiate the procedure for removal of the editor-in-chief, Csaba Pressburger, from his position constitutes an open and blatant political pressure on the media and the freedom of expression, as well as an attack on journalism in general. The NUNS and NDNV call on the employees of Magyar Szó to resist the arrogant behaviour of its founders, who intend to again turn the newspaper into a bland political party mouthpiece. This case of involvement of politics in the dismissal of the editor-in-chief confirms that the existing system of media in minority languages allows the politicians to control media outlets.
(NUNS, NDNV, Pescanik, 21.06.2011,Pravda, 22.06.2011, Politika, 22.06.2011)

The Managing Board of the Magyar Szónewspaper explains the dismissal of the editor-in-chief, Csaba Pressburger, by pointing out "the professional ineptitude, biased reporting and tendentious reporting on the Hungarian community in Vojvodina". Pressburger estimated that the initiated procedure is "a beginning of a rigged process" and that Magyar Szó does not want to become a political party newsletter. "We believe that the essence of reporting for national minority audiences is to write about community events as well as politicians' activities, but also to criticize when necessary", said Pressburger.
(Beta, Danas, Dnevnik, 22.06.2011)

SEEMO joins two Serbian journalists' associations in condemning mounting political pressure on Magyar Szo, a Hungarian-language daily. The National Council of the Hungarian Ethnic Minority, currently dominated by one political party, decided to replace the current Magyar Szo editor-in-chief Csaba Pressburger. His independent editorial policy did not satisfy the dominating party within the Council. As SEEMO reported in March of 2010, this is not the first time that the Council has attempted to control the paper. At the time, the Council set up a special board in order to monitor its editorial policy. "While Magyar Szo is the only Hungarian-language newspaper in Serbia, it is not supposed to defend the interests of one political party, but serve the public," said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.
(SEEMO, 22 June 2011)

During the session of the Information Board of the Hungarian National Minority, the editorial office organized a secret vote on the decision of the Managing Board to dismiss Csaba Pressburger. 54 employees voted against the dismissal of Pressburger, while 14 of them gave their support to the Managing Board's decision.
(UNS, 22.06.2011)

The Media Strategy envisions privatization of minority media. One of the authors of the draft Strategy, Rade Veljanovski, explains that "the political oligarchy is not absent from the minority communities, and that political parties of national minorities can exert pressure on media outlets within their community". In his words, the European practice does not recognize state-owned media outlets, except in the case of public service broadcasters.
(Dnevnik, 15.06.2011)

Issue No. 6
June 9–23, 2011

Abbreviations