The state should remain out of the media scene

Media associations agree on a joint position

Journalistic associations have agreed on a joint position they will take in the public debate on the media strategy with regard to ownership transparency and forbidden media concentration, elimination of the state ownership in the media, and equal treatment of media outlets in the market, says the joint announcement issued by these associations. Public debate on the Draft Media Strategy of Serbia has begun yesterday with the first of the six round tables dedicated to issues like the Press Council, print media and journalistic agencies.

Regarding the transparency of ownership, the Association of Independent Electronic Media, the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia, the Journalists' Association of Serbia, the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina and Local Press consider that changes to the legislation must provide for the transparency of ownership and availability of information to the public.

The public must have access to the name of the company, the name of owner and the ownership share. At the same time, it is necessary to repeal the legal provision that forbids majority foreign ownership in the Serbian media and to allow monitoring of changes in media ownership. Journalistic associations are of the opinion that all the media should be privately owned except public services that are – in accordance with law – publicly owned, which prevents political control over the media. The state should stimulate private ownership and create favorable economic and legal conditions for development of the media, says the announcement. It was also estimated that despite the fact that the Public Information Law forbids state ownership of the media, the state has retained ownership shares in a large number of media outlets. The Public Information Law stipulates that the state "can establish" a news agency, which provision should be repealed, says the announcement. If the state believes that it needs a press department, many functions previously performed by state media outlets should be transferred to such department.

The Strategy should entail full elimination of state ownership in the media, which involves sale of shares and redefining of the position of public media houses, as well as creation of independent bodies that would limit state's and companies' attempts to exert control over the media. Considering the equal treatment of the media in the market, the associations believe that it is necessary to clearly define the public interest in the media laws, to specify the authorities' obligation to fund media projects from the budget, and to form independent bodies and special funds.

Sidebar:
Laws against monopolists

The announcement by the Association of Independent Electronic Media, the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia, the Journalists' Association of Serbia, the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina and Local Press also says that it is necessary to create legal mechanisms that would prevent creation of monopolies in the media market and to pass a special law to regulate the area or clearly define the rules within a key media law.

"The law should prevent the owners from establishing a monopoly by purchasing other media outlets in the market. The legal framework must not limit the development of media companies, if a media outlet is capable of increasing its market share on the basis of its quality", says the associations' announcement.

Author: NN
Source: Pravda, 03.09.2010; page: 8.

MC Newsletter, September 10, 2010