The media situation in Serbia

The Protector of Citizens, Sasa Jankovic, expressed his concern over the pressure that was being exerted on representatives of certain civil society organizations in Novi Pazar via local media outlets that are considered to be under the influence of a religious community and its leader. Tanjug reports that the ombudsman also pointed out the unacceptability of media reporting that is based on national and religious exclusion, citing the recent example of an article published by the Sandzakmagazine which described inter-ethnic marriages as “mistakes“.
(Politika, NUNS, UNS, 14.09.2011)

The state and the media

During the last year, state assistance to the media sector in Serbia amounted to around 21 million euros, while this year the sum of around 25 million euros has been allocated for the same purpose, says the analysis of the media situation which is a part of the Draft Media Strategy, according to Danas. In 2011, the sums of 5 and 3.5 million euros were allocated at the national level and at the level of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, respectively. At the level of local self-governments, approximately 16.5 million euros was allocated for the purpose.
(Danas, NUNS, UNS, 12.09.2011)

In his interview to the Monitor newspaper, professor Rade Veljanovski says: "The idea about the preparation of the media strategy in Serbia was used as a smokescreen two years ago, when the government caused the fiasco with the Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Informing. The document, which had contained several provisions that violated the standards and practice of the democratic world, as well as the Constitution of Serbia, was judged unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court a year later. Since this attempt to modify legislation showed the government in a very bad light, the effort was launched to adopt the strategy, proving once again that the government in Serbia does not have a correct relationship towards the development of the media system. The steps taken by the government prove the lack of the desire to change the status quo."
(NUNS 06.09.2011)

Representatives of the ruling majority in the Assembly of the Municipality of Ljig decided at the last session of the Assembly to cancel live TV airing of its sessions. The president of the Assembly, Miodrag Starcevic Mikela, explained the move by pointing out that local elections were approaching and that the broadcasts could have been used for political campaigning.
(Pravda, UNS, NUNS, ANEM 08.09.2011)

Public service broadcasters

Around 8,000 candidates applied for jobs after the announcement of a public contest for employment of around 100 young experts by Radio-Television Serbia, which amounts to around 80 candidates per work position. The contest ends in two weeks.
(Danas, 01.09.2011)

The Administrative Court has adopted the complaint filed by the director of Radio-Television of Serbia. He complained against the warning issued to him by the Anti-Corruption Agency because of his failure to submit a report on personal property.
(Beta, NUNS, 07.09.2011, Politika, UNS, 08.09.2011)

Threats, attacks and legal proceedings against journalists and media-related trials

"It is not true that I was scared and went to the police – I have not visited the police at all! I was not concerned about my safety and I was not afraid that the women who was sending me messages might hurt me!" - writes Tatjana Vojtehovski, a renowned TV host and the PR manager of the Pink Media Group, in her letter sent to the Kurir newspaper after it had published an article entitled "A Lesbian Stalks Tanja".
(Kurir, 03.09.2011)

Journalists from local media outlets in Leskovac left the press conference – held in the premises of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) in the local assembly – protesting the criticism of the editorial policy of JP Radio Leskovacexpressed by the representative Miodrag Jovanovic. The journalists from Leskovac told the Blic newspaper that they had been targeted by unsubstantiated criticism of almost all of the political parties in Leskovac, which threatened professionalism of the media and objectivity of reporting and advertising.
(Blic, NUNS, 02.09.2011)

Criminal charges were filed against Maja Uzelac, the author of the popular show "Cultural Knockout" aired by TV B92, because she incited violence on the social network Twitter. She posted the following sentence: "The people who run Apartman (a club in Belgrade) should be beat hard and long". She is charged with threat to security. An expert for web-based business, Dragan Varagic, says that the Internet is a public place where everything is easily visible and verifiable, and that people are unaware of the fact that everything that is posted on social networks like Facebook or Tweeter is availably to everyone.
(Press Online, Press, NUNS, 09.09.2011)

A statement issued by the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) says that the police overreacted and acted imprudently and wrongly. The statement says that the police had "incorrectly interpreted a lucid comment", and adds: "On the other side, it remains unknown whether the police has reacted to direct and unambiguous threats posted on various blogs and social networks against the gay community, the Roma and other minorities".
(Beta, Politika, NUNS, Pravda, 09.09.2011)

Seven journalists, editors and media employees, against whom legal proceedings had been initiated, have received free legal assistance within the project launched by the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS).
(NUNS, Politika, UNS, 07.09. 2011)

The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) strongly condemns the threats made by the president of the Football Club Vojvodina, Ratko Butorovic, against the editor-in-chief of the web site Napred Vosa, Miroslav Gajinov.
(Politika, UNS, 10.09.2011)

Six years have passed since the brutal beating of the correspondent of Novosti newspaper from Loznica, Vladimir Mitric, while the legal process against L. T., a former police officer from Belgrade, has not been completed yet. In the meantime, the journalist has been living and working under permanent police protection. Organizers of the brutal attack have not been identified. According to medical experts, the attack on Mitric was a murder attempt, although it was legally characterized as infliction of serious physical injuries.
(Tanjug, Politika, Večernje Novosti, NUNS, 13.09.2011)

Investigations about murders of journalists

General Ratko Mladic, who is held in prison in Scheveningen, might be of great assistance in the investigation of the murder of journalist Dada Vujasinovic, committed in 1994, and identification of the murderers and organizers who were behind the crime, former members of intelligence from the Republic of Srpska claimed to the Novosti newspaper. At the time, general Mladic gave Dada Vujasinovic documents about the criminal activities of some of the highest-ranking members of the government of the Republic of Srpska.
(Vecernje Novosti, NUNS, UNS, 13.09.2011)

The Media Strategy

The Minister of Culture, Informing and Information Society of Serbia, Predrag Markovic, announced that in a week a modified version of the Media Strategy would be presented, and that it would contain all the desired and requested changes. He pointed out that not a single political party was involved in its preparation.
(Dnevnik, NUNS, 02.09.2011)

A journalist for the Republikanewspaper, Olivija Rusovac, writes: "The government in Serbia does not perceive the media as a public good, and instead considers it a private and party property, viewing the political and financial pressure at the media as a logical consequence of being in power. A single phone call from a politician's cabinet is sufficient for a journalist to lose his/her job. If a media outlet is considered to have acted 'traitorously', its survival in the market and access to advertisers become impossible. Disastrous position of the media and journalists should be improved by the announced media strategy. However, the initial optimism has dwindled. One of the crucial demands was the withdrawal of the state from media ownership. The government is not willing to do that. Domestic tycoons and businessmen rule the media scene, while their political and financial interests have become the most important criteria in journalism. The announced media strategy and change in legislation will prove whether the laws apply to everyone or whether the present situation would continue under a different name."
(Republika, NUNS 06.09.2011)

The Media Strategy envisions formation of six public service broadcasters in Serbia. The document says that the obligations and functions of the public service broadcaster are realized by "public service broadcasters at the republic, provincial and regional levels", and that "necessary working conditions and stable sources of financing of public service broadcasters will be provided in the Republic of Serbia", reports Danas.The Strategy also envisions that the state cannot own media outlets. The Action Plan specifies that the state must withdraw from media ownership "not later than 24 months after the establishment of the legal basis".
(Danas, NUNS, 10.09.2011)

Serbia will gain six regional public service broadcasters until 2013: in Belgrade, Kragujevac, Nis, Novi Pazar, Zajecar and Uzice, Novosti reports. Solution to the status of the news agency Tanjugwas one of the most disputed issues. The first version of the document says: "The public company Tanjug must be privatized". According to the new version of the Strategy as well, the ownership structure of Tanjug is to be transformed, but privatization is not mentioned anywhere, which means that the agency might remain a public company. Formation of local public service broadcasters puts into disadvantage all local media outlets that have been privatized.
(Vecernje Novosti, NUNS,UNS, 13.09.2011)

The Minister of Culture, Informing and Information Society, Predrag Markovic, announced that the Draft Media Strategy would be presented to members of the National Parliament of Serbia on Tuesday, September 13.
(Press, 11.09.2011)

Journalistic organizations – the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), and media associations – the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), Local Press and the Media Association, consider the section of the Draft Media Strategy that is related to regional public service broadcasters completely unacceptable and practically unsustainable. The media sector demands that this section of the Draft Media Strategy be completely revoked and that the legal regulations related to public service broadcasters be thoroughly redefined. The media sector demands that all imprecise definitions be removed from the final version of the Media Strategy, since they would allow subsequent ambiguous interpretations by the government and differing legal procedures, mostly with regard to media ownership and withdrawal of the state from media ownership. Journalistic organizations and media associations are also dissatisfied with the fact that, according to the proposed Strategy, National Councils of National Minorities will be allowed to establish media outlets – and not only print media outlets.
(Fonet, NUNS,14.09.2011)

Minority media

National councils of national minorities should remain founders of print media outlets in minority languages, but their influence on the editorial policy should be reduced as much as possible, says the open letter to the Minister, Predrag Markovic, signed by nine Hungarian intellectuals. As it stands, the national councils make decisions regarding editorial policy, they appoint editors-in-chief, and at the same time disregard their obligation in accordance with the Law on Information: to maintain a free and independent editorial policy – says media expert, Zuzana Serences. "This is the taxpayers' money at work. All the citizens are paying for the operating expenses of media outlets in minority languages, but the political elites in national councils treat this media as their own property", writes Serences. The letter was signed by Laslo Vegel, Zutana Serences, Alpar Losonc, Antal Bozoki, Laslo Gerold, Eva Karkai-Vas, Bela Garai, Deze Ereg and Caba Presburger.
(Beta, NDNV, 07.09. 2011, Dnevnik, NUNS, 08.09.2011, Politika, NUNS, 09.09.2011)