Professional standards

During 2011, 25 criminal charges were filed in Serbia against seven individuals because of suspected practice of medical charlatanry and unauthorized prescription of medication. Despite the fact that it is illegal to engage in fortune-telling, soothsaying, and clairvoyance, "Psychic Djina" had for a long time advertised in the electronic and print media. So-called "healers" are not allowed to advertise or appear on TV programmes, however, they usually broadcast their shows from neighbouring countries via cable providers.
(Vecernje Novosti, 13.05.2012)

The deputy president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Aleksandar Vucic, confirmed that the president of the party, Tomislav Nikolic, met with the US Ambassador and that he informed her about the electoral fraud and behavior of the media during the election campaign.
(Kurir, 15.05.2012)

The president of the press department of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Vuk Fatic, said that during the election campaign Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) had allowed "a brutal abuse of authority by Democratic Party (DS) officials", and that the ratio of airtime dedicated to DS and SNS during the election campaign, respectively, was given 4:1.
(Blic online, UNS, 15.05.2012, Blic, 16.05.2012)

The Complaints Committee of the Press Council has not been able to decide whether the daily newspaper Politika had violated the Journalistic Code of Serbia by publishing the article "Only Thieves Are Diligent". It was not possible to reach a two-thirds majority in favor or against such decision. The Regional Center for Minorities, which had filed the complaint in this case, said that the article had violated provisions of the Code of Journalism pertaining to obligation of journalists to protect rights and dignity of disadvantaged groups. The Committee asked Politika to publish its decision, and the daily newspaper fulfilled this request although it was not under obligation to do so.
(Politika, UNS, NUNS, 16.05.2012)

As of May 25, Radio-Television Vojvodina will begin airing the documentary TV series "The Media in Serbia: The Chronicle of Destruction". The series, which has seven episodes and is authored by Slavisa Lekic, is a chronology of ruination of the media during the last 20 years – from the rise to power of Slobodan Milosevic until today.
(NUNS, 15.05.2012)

A research on media reporting on decentralization, regionalization and constitutional and legal position of Vojvodina during the pre-election period was conducted on two occasions between March and May 2012 by the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NDNV), as a part of the project "Public Debate on Decentralization" with support from the National Endowment for Democracy. The monitoring covered the following daily and weekly newspapers: Press, Kurir, Blic, Danas, Politika, Dnevnik, NIN, Vreme and Novi magazin. Reports are available on the NDNV website.
(NDNV, 11.05.2012)

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NDNV) has presented the results of monitoring of media reports published during the election campaign by five daily newspapers – Danas, Politike, Blic, Press and Dnevnik. The monitoring shows that the majority of these newspapers were biased in favor of the Democratic Party (DS) and its presidential candidate Boris Tadic, while the "reports published by daily newspaper Danas were most balanced". The research also included three media outlets in Hungarian language, out of which Magyar Szo and Het Nap were heavily biased in favor of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM). The content of the weekly supplement published by Blic was dominated by SVM and DS.
(Danas, 16.05.2012)

Assessments, awards, training courses and competitions

Caricaturist for the newspaper Narodne Novine from Nis, Sasa Dimitrijevic, is the recipient of an international award. The topic of the exhibition was "Tourism", while 394 authors from 54 countries took part in the contest.
(Juzne vesti, 11.05.2012)

Photographer Zoran Petrovic from the Tourist Organization of Kragujevac is the recipient of the popular award at the ninth Beta Photograph of the Year public competition.
(Beta, NUNS, 15.05.2012)

SEEMO announced that Serbian journalist Igor Pavicevic won the 2012 SEEMO Human Rights Photo Award. The winning photograph, “Ručak na barikadi”, (Lunch at the Barricades), shot on Sep. 18, 2011, in Jarinje, Kosovo, was selected by the SEEMO jury, headed by Radomir Licina (Danas daily, Belgrade, Serbia). Pavicevic works as a photojournalist for the Belgrade-based Press daily. The SEEMO Human Rights Award is part of the Beta Photo Award Competition. The winners of the 2012 Beta Photo Award are: Sanja Knezevic, Amnesty International, Serbia; Vadim Ghirda, AP, Romania; and Milos Cvetkovic, Blic, Serbia. A special award for best sports photograph, sponsored by Telekom, went to Bulgarian photographer Kostadin Andonov.
(SEEMO, Press, 18.05.2012)

Journalist Lidija Obradovic, who is a member of the Serbian language editorial team of the China Radio International, has won the third prize at the competition of foreign writers "I Love China".
(UNS,15.05.2012)

Experienced and successful journalists can become excellent professionals educators, if they are exposed to most efficient methods of transfer of knowledge and skills. With financial support from IREX/USAID, the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) will train for free 12 journalists to be professional educators. Additional information is available on the phone number 011/3343-255 from Dragan Janjic.
(MC, 15.05.2012)

Training for journalists "Reporting on Confiscation of Property Acquired via Criminal Activities" will take place on Thursday 24 May 2012 in the premises of the Media Center Vojvodina of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NDNV). Experts from the Council of Europe, representatives of the Republic Public Prosecutor and the Ebart Archive will take part in the training.
(NDNV, 21.05.2012)

On May 28, after several months of preparations, the Media Association, the OSCE Mission in Serbia and IREX will launch a seminar dedicated to improvement of quality of reporting on economy. In the first three series, lectures will be held by leading domestic experts on economy and representatives of major business systems. They will be joined by experienced lecturers from Europe. The first 12 attendees of the seminar will have a chance to visit the World Bank, editorial offices of major international newspapers covering economy-related topics, as well as stock markets.
(ASMEDI NEWSLETTER, May 2012)

"Dan Graf d.o.o." has decided to announce a public contest for the annual journalistic award "Stanislav Marinkovic". The award is given for journalistic courage and special achievements in investigative and analytic journalism. All journalists working in the territory of Serbia are eligible for the award and candidates can be nominated by all editorial teams, professional associations and individuals. Proposals for the award have to be delivered to the jury not later than 1 June 2012 to the address of Danas, Alekse Nenadovica 19–23, 11000 Beograd, with a label saying "Za nagradu 'Stanislav Marinković'", or via email to uprava@danas.rs
(Danas, 22.05.2012)

Media visits

United Kingdom Ambassador to Serbia Michael Davenport and his associates visited the editors-in-chief and directors of media companies that are members of the Media Association.
(ASMEDI NEWSLETTER, maj 2012)

Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Yossef Levy visited the Color Press Group, which is a member of the Media Association. The Ambassador was informed about operations of the media in Serbia in times of economic crisis, while Robert Coban informed him about the history of CPG, which celebrates its 20th birthday this autumn.
(ASMEDI NEWSLETTER, maj 2012)

The control department of the Republic Agency for Electronic Communication (RATEL) organized on 25 April 2012 a visit of a group of students of the Faculty of Electronics in Belgrade, Department of Telecommunication and IT, to the Control and Measurement Center "Belgrade" in Dobanovci. After a lecture on principles of control of usage of the radio frequency spectrum, the students examined the latest-generation measuring instruments and vehicles. The students were also informed about the activities performed by RATEL controllers in the Center and in the field.
(Ratel, 10.05.2012)

The media audience

Alo! is the second most-read daily newspaper in Serbia, shows the research conducted by the Ipsos Strategic Marketing agency. The average number of readers in the previous week amounted to no less than 543,870 readers. Only the daily newspaper Blic had a larger number of readers – 839,785. Blic is also published by the company Ringier Axel Springer.
(Alo!, 19.05.2012)

Media transfers

As of today, Branko Zujovic, who had until recently been the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Suboticke Novine and the vice president of the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS); Radoslav Berbatovic, who works as a journalist with daily newspaper Pravda; and the long-time musical editor of TV Gornji Milanovac, Zoran Rankovic, will begin working in the editorial team of the Serbian language section of China Radio International (CRI).
(UNS, 17.05.2012)

Anniversaries

B92 has always been one of the popular radio stations in the capital city. In this year, the popularity of B92 has been on the increase in the whole territory of Serbia. Marking its 23rd anniversary, Radio B92 will offers gift and surprises to its loyar listeners.
(B92 online, UNS, RTV B92, NUNS, 15.05.2012)

Radio B92 celebrated yesterday its 23rd birthday by organizing a party for its friends, partners and listeners in the Cultural Center "Grad". With more than 150,000 listeners every day, Radio B92 is the third best-rated commercial station in Serbia.
(Press, 18.05.2012)

Other news

Around 500 editors and journalists from Europe attended the 13th European Journalistic Congress held in Vienna under the auspices of the company Japan Tobacco International. During the two days of the congress, the journalists, including the representatives of the daily newspaper Kurir, exchanged experiences and ideas and discussed the current European trends in journalism and online communication. During the congress, awards were given to best European newspapers.
(Kurir, NUNS, 21.05.2012)

In Memoriam

The editor-in-chief of the newspaper Sremske Novine, Jovanka-Beba Zurkovic, passed away in Sremska Mitrovica. She began working for Sremske Novine on 1 April 1987, while between 2005 and her untimely death she was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper. She was also a long-time correspondent of the daily newspaper Danas.
(UNS, NUNS, 10.05.2012)

Associates, friends and admirers of the former editor-in-chief of the free-thinking weekly magazine Naplo, Karolj Keseg, gathered to mark 15th anniversary of his death in Padej, near his resting place. During the following memorial event, annual awards were given to winners of the traditional contest for best media reports. The contest is organized to honor Keseg's achievements.
(Magyar szo, NDNV, 21.05.2012)