The media situation in Serbia

This evening's episode of the documentary series by Slavisa Lekic, which depicts a chronology of ruination of the media in the last 20 years, is entitled "The Funeral March". The episode describes a symbiosis between supporters of the ideas promoted by the anti-Hague lobby, some of the intellectuals and the media, which casts a new light on the organized campaign aimed at political and personal discrediting, and eventually assassination, of Zoran Djindjic. The episode also explains how a part of the media became a mouthpiece of politicians and members of various secret services and interest groups.
(Politika, 13.07.2012)

Miljenko Dereta, a member of parliament, writes: "We are witnessing a new agreement on joint political goals which specifies the priorities of the new Government. The agreement says that the Government will initiate 'the necessary struggle against censorship and self-censorship in the media'. I wonder who would report self-censorship and to whom, and why the section related to 'creation of conditions for elimination of political pressure' mentions only journalists, while omitting editors and media owners. The Government will control everything itself because 'cooperation with citizens and the non-governmental sector' is mentioned only with regard to the 'more intensive and efficient fight against corruption'".
(Blic, 13.07.2012)

Snjezana Milivojevic's article in daily newspaper Danas says: "The author of the book about the first three years of the daily newspaper Danas, Grujica Spasovic, who was the first editor-in-chief of Danas, has in fact managed to create two different books. One of them is a book about us, while the other is a book about Danas. The book about us is gloomy and terrifying. It is a testimony about the first three years in the life of the newspaper Danas and the last three years of the rule of Slobodan Milosevic (1997-2000). Even such a short period of time is enough to demonstrate how ruined this society was."
(Danas – weekend edition, 14.07.2012)

Opinions about the current media situation in Serbia

Nedim Sejdinovic has published an article on the website of the Independent Journalist's Association of Vojvodina (NDNV): Out of more than 1,000 operating media outlets in Serbia, 137 media outlets are owned by the government. Considering the electronic media, 86 radio and TV broadcasters have a status of public service broadcasters, which is noted in the Strategy of Development of the Information System adopted in September 2011. However, the data from the Register of Media Outlets, which is not precise and updated, indicates the existence of 82 publicly-owned media outlets, out of which there are 29 television stations (26 percent of registered TV broadcasters) and 53 radio broadcasters (25 percent of registered broadcasters), as well as 13 newspaper publishers which publish a few dozen periodicals. The very fact that the data has not been updated although it is being changed every day indicates that the media scene in Serbia is in complete chaos. The media owned by the government is mostly financed from the national budget, which constitutes a brutal violation of the freedom of competition. It is also clear that the executive branch of government appoints or influences the appointment of the management structures in these media outlets, which threatens the freedom of expression and deprives the journalists of mechanisms that are necessary for protection of their profession. The full text is available on the web page of NDNV.
(NDNV, 05.07.2012)

The media in post-communist countries, as well as Serbia, are under economic and political pressure, says Jovanka Matic, a consultant with the Institute of Social Sciences. During a presentation of the results of legal monitoring of the media scene in Serbia by the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), she said that the high-quality press had disappeared and been replaced by tabloid content and commercialized. "State monopoly in Serbia has been replaced by factual monopolies of foreign corporations or domestic tycoons. Election of regulatory bodies and managing bodies of public service broadcasters is being conducted under political influence, while journalists are often being threatened, attacked and even murdered", said Matic. She added that since 2000, Serbian politicians have not mentioned in their election campaigns the reform of the media system as one of their political priorities, including during the elections of 2012, and that different behavior should not be expected from any other government in the following years.
(Beta, B92, UNS, NUNS, Danas, 06.07.2012, Politika, 07.07.2012)

The state and the media

A new Albanian-Serbian coalition government has appointed a teacher Abedin Racipi, as the new director of the Public Information Company RTV Bujanovac. A long-time journalist, Mukarem Ahmeti, remains the editor-in-chief of the multi-ethnic news company. The Albanian, Serbian and Roma editorial offices will still be headed by Nedzat Vehbiu, Dusan Sikimic and Iljaz Kasumi, respectively. The deputy president of the Democratic Party, Nedzat Behljulji, said that the personnel changes had followed after the agreement of the members of the ruling coalition.
(Blic - Srbija, NUNS, UNS, 06.07.2012)

Sevdailj Hiseni from the Movement for Democratic Progress (PDP), who is the recent director and editor-in-chief of the Public Company Radio-Television Bujanovac, has left to his successor no less than eight newly employed workers. The new president of the Managing Board of RTV Bujanovac, Nedzat Beljulji (DP), said that he could not understand why the previous director had employed eight new workers on permanent employment contracts only one week before the end of his term in office.
(Tanjug, Press, 18.07.2012)

The current laws on information and public acquisitions will be repealed immediately after the election of the new government, reports the daily newspaper Vecernje Novosti. The regulations that have already entered the parliamentary procedure will be repealed as well. This could be the first step taken by the new ruling coalition consisting of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the United Regions of Serbia (URS), reports Novosti.
(Vecernje novosti, 07.07.2012)

The director of Transparency Serbia, Vladimir Goati, says that the future government must stop the practice of buying influence in the media as well as the squandering of the public funds via sponsorships, promotional campaigns or advertising paid for by publicly-owned companies, ministries, provincial and local governments. "This would entail a legal ban on sponsorships and advertising of publicly-owned companies, including a clear regulation of financing of the media by any level of government", said Goati.
(Dnevnik, 11.07.2012)

The new government of Serbia, however and whenever it may be formed, will have a lot of work with regard to regulation of the media scene and improvement of the position of journalists, who have never been in such a precarious position in the last ten years, according to journalists' opinion, reports the daily newspaper Danas. The public probably considers that there are many other areas that should be given priority, and that the media offer no direct benefit, but we should not forget that the media is one of the primary preconditions for democracy and a mediator between the government and citizens.
(Danas – weekend edition, 14.07.2012)

Experts in the fight against corruption say that the non-transparent change in ownership over a part of the newspaper publishing company "Politika" proves that media owners in Serbia and the people who stand behind them are still not known. Danilo Sukovic, a member of the Anti-Corruption Council, emphasizes that this case involves a private transfer that cannot be controlled by the state, but that it can be made more transparent, and that the monopoly commission should investigate whether the transfer violates the rules related to concentration of ownership in the market and whether there is a monopoly. A member of the Anti-Corruption Council, Jelisaveta Vasilic, says that the government should finally begin establishing the identity of media owners by controlling the flow of money. "The Council was preparing a report on the media and it turned out that only in a small number of cases we were able to find information about media owners", said Vasilic. A member of the Managing Board of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Cedomir Cupic, considers that now is the time to investigate the contracts that were concluded during the sale of a part of "Politika" to a German company, and to establish whether these contracts allow further resale of "Politika". He is of the opinion that such a transaction was possible because the Law on Origin of Property has not been adopted yet, since the Law would stipulate that nothing can be sold if the owners are not clearly identified.
(Tanjug, UNS, 18.07.2012)

Public service broadcasters

A folk music manager, Zoran Basanovic, will be the general director of the public service broadcaster if the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) forms the government with the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the United Regions of Serbia (URS), reports the daily newspaper Kurir. Basanovic was the manager and boyfriend of Dragana Mirkovic, as well as of Jelena Karleusa, Haris Dzinovic, Dzej and other folk music stars. He married in 2010, and his best man at the wedding was the leader of the SNS, Aleksandar Vucic.
(Kurir, UNS, B92, NUNS 06.07.2012)

The Primary Court in Cacak has refused 311 lawsuits filed by Radio-Television Serbia against citizens who had not been paying the TV fee, said today the acting president of the Court, Svetlana Krunic Tasevski.
(RRA, Blic, 17.07.2012, Beta, Kurir, Danas, Press, 18.07.2012)

Threats, attacks and legal processes against journalists; media-related trials

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) is dissatisfied with the inexplicable duration of the court proceedings related to the attempt of the Production Group Mreza to recover a stolen camera. For 12 years, PG Mreza has been trying to recover a camera stolen from its journalists by the security personnel of the Serbian Radical Party. 11 years and seven months have passed, and the legal process has not been completed. No less than 36 court sessions have been scheduled, reminds NUNS in its press statement.
(NUNS, MC, NUNS Center for Investigative Journalism, Beta, 06.07.2012, Politika, Danas, 07.07.2012)

Danilo Ikodinovic, a former water-polo player, posted on his Twitter account that he had been questioned by the police because the car of "some journalist" was set on fire. That journalist is Zorica Radulovic, a journalist with the daily newspaper Kurir, whose car was set on fire during the night of June 22-23.
(Kurir, 07.07.2012)

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) strongly condemns the decision of the new Municipal Council of Ljig to remove journalist Mira Kojic from its first session. Mira Kojic is a contributor to Valjevo newspapers Napred and Revija Kolubara. NUNS reminds that the Constitution and the law guarantee the freedom of information. Journalist Kojic demanded to be allowed to remain at the session and pointed out that the crew of TV Ljig was allowed to report from the session despite not having a broadcasting license, but her demand was rejected. The journalist suggested that all members of the Municipal Council confirm her removal from the session, which, unfortunately, they did unanimously. The new municipal government consists of members of the Socialist Party of Serbia, New Serbia, the United Regions of Serbia, the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Serbian Radical Party.
(NUNS, 12.07.2012, Beta, Politika, 13.07.2012,Danas, 14.07.2012)

Journalist Dejan Ignjic has been dismissed from the newspaper Dnevnik from Novi Sad because he had refused to change and "soften" the questions for the mayor of Novi Sad, Igor Pavlicic. In a letter to the media, the president of Serbia and embassies of Western countries, Ignjic said that, according to previous agreement, he had sent questions about communal problems in the city to the cabinet of the mayor, after which the editor of the city section of the newspaper demanded that he modify and resend the questions because of their "bad writing style". After he refused to do so, the next day he was dismissed from work.
(Danas, 12.07.2012)

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) and the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV) protest against the verdict of the Higher Court in Novi Sad which obliges Radio 021, newspaper Dnevnik from Novi Sad and the editors of these media outlets to pay compensation for damage to reputation and honor to prosecutor Goran Urosevic, who is currently serving time in a prison in Pozarevac. They have been sentenced to pay 200,000 dinars because they had published a sentence to two pimps. This verdict proves once again that Serbian courts almost routinely make decisions that jeopardize the media and the freedom of the media.
(ANEM, NUNS i NDNV, MC, 12.07.2012, Beta, Danas, Politika, Dnevnik, 13.07.2012)

The First Primary Court in Belgrade sentenced six fans of the football club "Partizan" to suspended sentences of several months because of threats to the journalist and editor of the programme "The Insider", Brankica Stankovic, during the football match Partizan-Sahtjor that took place on December 16, 2009.
(Press, Blic, Vecernje novosti, 14.07.2012)

The leader of the political party New Serbia, Velimir Ilic, attacked again at a press conference held today the media, TV B92 and the author and host of the programme "The Impression of the Week", Olja Beckovic.
(B92, NUNS, UNS, 17.07.2012)

The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) strongly condemns the statement of the president of New Serbia, Velimir Ilic, that he made today at a press conference, during which he insulted journalists and said to Olja Beckovic that he intended to re-educate her, i.e. find someone to do that.
(UNS, Tanjug, 17.07.2012, 24 sata, Blic, BETA, Danas, Dnevnik, Kurir, Press, Politika, 18.07.2012)

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) has strongly condemned the latest Ilic's attacks on Beckovic and pointed out that "such a person must not be allowed to make important decisions on behalf of citizens". Ilic had already abused and verbally and physically attacked journalists without any consequences to his political career. It is time to stop such behavior, not only when it comes to Ilic, but also with regard to all other politicians. NUNS demands that the future prime minister and political leaders not allow history to repeat itself and protect journalists.
(NUNS, 17.07.2012)

SEEMO condemns the latestinsults against journalists launched by Velimir Ilic, leader of the New Serbiaparty, and potential minister in the upcoming coalition government. Ilichas insulted reporters on several occasions over the past ten years and in2003 he hit a journalist during an interview. The latest incident involving Ilic occurred on 17 July 2012 during a press conference.Targeting the host of the high-profile talk show, Olja Beckovic, Ilic said that he would find someone to re-educate the reporter. “I call onparty leaders in Serbia to stop threatening and insulting journalists.Respecting press freedom is an essential part of democracy and a fundamentalcriteria for joining the European Union“, said SEEMO Secretary General, Oliver Vujovic.
(SEEMO, 18.07.2012)

Investigations about murders of journalists

"No one has offered me the status of a protected witness in the legal process related to the murder of Slavko Curuvija, and there is no reason that such offer be made", said to Alo! Stevan Basta, a former head of the Third Department for Extremism of the Belgrade Section of the State Security Service, in a response to speculations that he might become a protected witness in the investigation of the murder of the owner of Dnevni Telegraf.
(Alo!, 15.07.2012, NUNS, 17.07.2012)

The Media Strategy

Media associations and organizations will judge the success of the new Serbian government in the media scene mostly on the basis of its attitude towards the Media Strategy, says a joint statement. Fulfillment of the demands specified in the Media Strategy, which the media associations and organizations have insisted on during the previous years, will serve as an indicator of the willingness of the government to truly implement the long-awaited reforms in the media sector. The sale of the daily newspaper Politika has offered the new government the first opportunity to ensure transparency of media ownership, which is one of the promises from its Coalition Agreement. Media associations and organizations expect that promises from the Media Strategy be fulfilled, especially with regard to withdrawal of the state from media ownership, changes in expenditure of budget funds allocated to the media and transition to budget-based financing, as well as measure intended to create equal conditions for all participants in the media market of Serbia. We remind that associations and organizations have not accepted the idea that another six regional public service broadcasters should be formed in Serbia, or the idea that councils of national minorities should own the minority media.
(NUNS, UNS, ANEM, Local Press and NDNV, 18.07.2012)