Media situation in Serbia

The Ombudsman of the Province of Vojvodina warned the citizens not to accept the advice appearing in some public statements and claiming that collection of radio and TV fee has no basis in law and that court mail should be rejected. Contrary to some claims, the Constitutional Court has not invalidated the provisions of the Law on Broadcasting that are related to radio and TV fee, and the Law is still in force. The average rate of collection of the RTV fee in Serbia in 2011 is 41 percent.
(Pravda, 10.02.2012)

The state secretary for the Ministry of Justice, Slobodan Homen, said that the Government had accepted the proposal to remove the criminal offense of insult and libel from the Criminal Code. "The Council of Europe and the European Union clearly recommend that it is necessary to raise standards in the field of media freedoms and the freedom of journalists. Legal proceedings related to compensation for tangible or intangible damage are still possible. Journalists will be interested to know that removal of criminal offenses of insult and libel from the Criminal Code means that all ongoing proceedings will be terminated, regardless of which phase they are in", said Homen.
(Pravda, 04.02.2012, Kurir, 06.02.2012)

Assessments of the current media situation in Serbia

Journalist Marina Fratucan says to the newspaper Dnevnik: "The media in Serbia is in a very bad position. Media outlets are financially devastated and are not a popular career choice of young people. Journalists are susceptible to manipulation and in fear of losing their salaries. I could advise students to become journalists because of their love for the profession or enthusiasm, but I cannot guarantee that they would be able to support their families and adhere to the professional rules."
(Dnevnik, UNS, 12.02.2012)

Interviewed by the daily newspaper Politika, Vojislav Kostunica says: "I am very proud of the freedom of the media that existed in Serbia during the period 2004-2008. If I could turn back the time, I would make even more effort to ensure free media and free speech in Serbia. I am convinced that attempts to exert control over the media will prove detrimental to those who try to achieve it."
(Politika, UNS, 13.02.2012)

Zarko Korac writes on the web site of Pescanik: "The controlled media outdid themselves. There have been almost no reports in the media about the termination of negotiations with the IMF or the closure of 'Sartid', a company that instead of being the largest exporter in Serbia is about to become a burden to taxpayers. Everyone who reads the media can see that the elections are approaching. The increase in tension is obvious. Leaders of political parties make daily statements in the media, travel around Serbia and abroad, mount attacks against each other, and frequently pay for research of public opinion. All these things would constitute typical behavior in election campaigns, if it was not for a single, terrifying fact: the political discourse is completely devoid of any ideas about possible solutions for the serious economic and social crisis in Serbia.
(Dnevnik, Autonomija, NDNV, 12.02.2012)

The state and the media

Journalist working for daily newspaper Kurir, Gordana Rakovic, writes: "Those who do not pay attention to journalists and do not respect them, while at the same time believing that correct relationship with the media can only result from shady dealings, have become a part of the political prehistory. People who wrote and published this sentence on the website of the Democratic Party (DS) are correct. If you are a journalist and call any of the DS officials asking for a comment or the party position on an issue, they will tell you to talk to Jelena Trivan. The former spokeswoman of the DS is not as available to the media as she used to be before she became the deputy president of the DS.
(Kurir, 06.02.2012)

All the officials of the Democratic Party (DS) that the newspaper Danas had been trying to contact for weeks answered our calls yesterday, but only after receiving our SMS in which we announced our intention to publish an article about the manner in which DS communicates with the media. For weeks, Danas was trying to contact Jelena Trivan and the head of the ZES parliamentary group in the National Parliament of Serbia, Nada Kolundzija, as well as to get an official statement or information from Marko Djurisic. As a result of such behavior, our recent articles lacked answers to a range of questions, mostly the ones that politicians would find "unwelcome".
(Danas, 08.02.2012)

Statement issued by the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV) says that "the Government of Vojvodina today announced that first positive effects in the process of consolidation of Dnevnik Holding from Novi Sad were being felt. Thanks mostly to the steps taken by the Government of Vojvodina and the Government of Serbia, the first phase of stabilization of the company has been completed after four extremely difficult years. However, it was not specified what kind of positive effects took place."
(NDNV, 14.02.2012)

Public service broadcasters

The leading and the oldest national news and media agency of Azerbaijan, "AzerTAc", the official Eurovision portal "Eurovision.az" and the newspaper "Bakinskiy Rabochiy" praised the reporting of Radio-Television Serbia about the preparations for 57th Eurovision contest in Azerbaijan and Baku.
(RTS, NUNS, 10.02.2012)

Threats, attacks and legal proceedings against journalists; media trials

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) held a meeting at which it was decided to make an offer to the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) proposing joint management of the building in Resavska Street, says to Danas Vukasin Obradovic, the president of NUNS. The UNS would be required to recognize the right of NUNS to be registered as an owner of the building, and to pay NUNS the legal expenses in the amount of 412,187 dinars. However, the UNS could appeal the verdict or demand revision, which might extend the deadline for division of the building.
(Danas, UNS, NUNS, 03.02.2012)

In a few days, the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) will inform its members and the public why the Association's legal team disputes the decision of the Court of Appeals. The Court decided to overturn the verdict made by the First Primary Court in Belgrade, which confirmed this spring that UNS was the rightful owner of the building at 28 Resavska Street in Belgrade, says Liljana Smajlovic, the president of UNS. In her opinion, fair use of the building in Resavska Street can be agreed upon in an amicable manner and the agreement must not result from illegal and unfair decisions made by the state.
(Danas, 08.02.2012)

The legal team of the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) has prepared a constitutional complaint and revision in a response to the decision made by the Court of Appeals in Belgrade. The Court overturned the verdict passed by the First Primary Court and decided that UNS and the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) are joint owners of the Journalists' Building at 28 Resavska Street in Belgrade.
(UNS, 09.02.2012, Politika, 11.02.2012)

The court session related to the lawsuit filed by journalist Vladimir Jesic took place regardless of the fact that the Higher Court in Novi Sad had received the telegram sent by Velimir Ilic, in which Ilic explained that he was unable to appear in the courtroom because of the emergency situation in the country. During the session, the Court heard the testimonies of a witness, Goran Trajkovski, and an expert, Dr Milan Stankovic. The following court session in this case is scheduled for March 5.
(Beta, Blic, NUNS, UNS, Alo!, Dnevnik, 09.02.2012)

The editor-in-chief of Radio Pancevo, Dragan Milenkovic, was dismissed from work for the second time after the court's decision that he has to be allowed to return to his job.
(Politika, 07.02.2012)

The director of Radio-Television Timocka (TTV), Vladan Paunovic, denied the news that "Emisiona Tehnika i Veze" shut down the signal of TTV on February 3 because of alleged debt amounting to several million. He said that the interruption of programme broadcasting via the transmitter located at Deli Jovan had been caused by technical problems in the transmitter, while the transmitter on Tupiznica was used only for radio signal of TTV.
(Press, 08.02.2012)

The deputy prime minister and the minister of internal affairs, Ivica Dacic, said in response to a question from a TV Svet Plus journalist that his party – the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) – was responsible for social problems as much as the Progressive Party of Serbia (SNS) was responsible for the problems in years before 2000. He added that the journalist was working for a politically biased TV station.
(Tanjug, NUNS, Vecernje novosti, Press, 09.02.2012)

The Court of Appeals in Belgrade accepted the complaint and ordered a retrial of the case in which the Serbian Movement "Dveri" and the Serbian National Movement "Svetozar Miletic" filed a civil lawsuit for insult against Dinko Gruhonjic, a journalist from Novi Sad. In Octobar of the last year, the First Primary Court in Belgrade rejected the lawsuit. News agency Beta reports that the First Primary Court was ordered to begin a new trial.
(Beta, RTV, NUNS, 09.02.2012)

The Court of Appeals in Belgrade changed the verdict against Milan Savatovic, who had been convicted of participating in the attack on B92 cameraman, Bosko Brankovic. The Court accepted the complaint submitted by the First Primary Prosecutor's Office and sentenced Savatovic to one year of prison, instead of the previous sentence of 10 months of house arrest.
(B92.net, NUNS, UNS, 10.02.2012, Tanjug, Press, 11.02.2012)

Mirjana Mimica, whose blogging alias is Mahlat, has managed to win damages from the news agency Tanjug in an out-of-court settlement. The article entitled "The Umbrella – from a Status Symbol to a Fashion Accessory", posted by Mahlat on the web site tetka.rs, was published five days later by Tanjug under the title "The Umbrella – Status Symbol and a Fashion Accessory".
(e-Novine, NDNV, 13.02.2012)

Rights of journalists

Slobodan Krstic is the first journalist who has won a lawsuit against his employer on the basis of the Law on Mobbing, reports the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS). The Court of Appeals in Nis established that the employer – the newspaper Narodne Novine from Nis – had discriminated against Krstic, subjected him to constant mobbing and illegally dismissed him from work in October 2009.
(RTV, NUNS, 06.02.2012, Danas, 07.02.2012)

The Media Strategy

The strategy of public informing in Serbia until 2016 was presented in Pozarevac at an event entitled "The Media Strategy – Future Steps". Among the speakers at the event were the president of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), Vukasin Obradovic; the secretary of NUNS, Svetozar Rakovic; the secretary general of the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), Ninoslav Brajovic; and the president of the Managing Board of Local Press and the organized of the public discussion, Dejan Miladinovic. The Press Council, which monitors violations of the journalistic code of conduct, was promoted during the event.
(Danas - Braničevo, 03.02.2012)

The minority media

The Constitutional Court of Serbia is expected to make a decision by the end of March on the request for judgment on constitutionality of the Law on National Councils of National Minorities. The request was filed by the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS). UNS claims that the Law threatens the independence and freedom of the media and disputes the provisions that allow national councils to establish publicly-owned media outlets. In practice, political parties have influenced and run the national councils as well as their media outlets, which are the victims of unacceptable political influence, says UNS.
(UNS, 02.02.2012)

The Media Strategy of Vojvodina Hungarians, adopted in November 2011, has attracted a lot of interest as well as criticism from media professionals and certain political parties. Unofficial translation of the document into Serbian language is available at the web site of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina in the PDF format: www.ndnv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Medijska-strategija-vojvodanskih-Madara.pdf
(NDNV, 11.02.2012)

Istvan Bodzoni, the director of RTV Panon in Hungarian language, has announced the beginning of the construction of TV network of Vojvodina Hungarians. Creation of an integrated network would allow joint preparation of broadcasts, as well as the exchange of information and programmes. It is also planned to form a team of correspondents from Belgrade; intensify cooperation with editorial offices of other media outlets in Hungarian language – "Magyar Szo", "Het Nap" and Radio Subotica; and achieve wider cooperation with cable broadcasters. Programmes broadcast by RTV Panon are already available via the IPTV network in Serbia, as well as on the Internet.
(NDNV, 10.02.2012, Danas, NUNS, UNS, 14.02.2012)