PODGORICA 25.05.2018. – Large retail chains and mobile operators are the largest advertisers in commercial media. Journalists do not necessarily have direct contact with them, but they can indirectly influence the freedom of reporting.
This is the opinion of several journalists who are employed in commercial media in Montenegro who have anonymously reported their experience from the editorial staff. “Despite the fact that we have information about trade chains that imported infected meat from abroad, the trade names have not been published or deleted from the text”, one of the journalists said.
He believes that advertisers do not have a direct impact on journalists but on the management or editorial board of the media house: “It’s not excluded that the advertiser may not even say in advance that we may have a problem because of the published text, so a self-censorship is common in journalists or editors-the fear that they may have a problem if they publish the names of those who pay advertising space”, said the reporter.
According to the 2017 Media Sustainability Index, the Montenegrin advertising market is estimated at around 12-13 million euros worth, of which 10 million are commercial advertisers, and 2-3 million makes advertisement of state and local administration and state-owned companies.
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro in the analysis “Indicators of the level of media freedom and security of journalists” recognizes the problem of the inseparability of service marketing and editorial office marketing. They state that most media do not have internal acts that regulate the rules of work in the editorial office: “In some cases, editorial offices are not separate from the marketing sector. Therefore, in practice, indirect effects of the owner or marketing sector on the editorial policy of the media often occur”.
The analysis of the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), based on interviews with journalists and media experts, recognizes that direct pressures on journalists by economic influential groups and individuals are not visible, but that in some editorial offices there are topics that cannot be addressed, and are related to structures that have an economic impact on the business of the media.
Journalist and NGO activist Darko Ivanovic from the Civic Alliance (GA) believes that state and local public services have certain agendas that rely on a state protocol that is “a stumbling block for the development of media freedom”, while commercial media in Montenegro face another problem: “Commercial media must function in a market that is narrow in terms of advertisers and marketing, so it is difficult to remain independent and process absolutely all topics. When it comes to big advertisers, handbrake is usually pulled”.
Working with a private employer is the same everywhere
Our interlocutors believe that work in private media is like working in any private company. “The fact that you have a contract and a limited working hours does not mean that you will be working eight hours a day. You have a low paycheck and there is no possibility of being additionally rewarded for a job well-done”.
This is confirmed by numerous analyses and researches on the situation in the media, according to which, the low salary is the reason why journalists leave the media and are increasingly seeking jobs in PR services of companies and in the bodies of state.
“In some media, journalists face working illegally, although I have to be completely honest, in the media in which I work it is not the case”.
Mostly they have a correct relationship with the editorial office which is of key importance for the work of every journalist.
“If this relationship is ‘tense’, it is extremely poorly affecting productivity, while on the other hand, proper collaboration and communication can produce good media material. Personally, I have a good relationship with the editorial staff, starting with the editors of the sections to larger instances, which is why I consider my work to be better. Surely, situations in which you have to listen to your superiors are not rare, but in many other cases I have the freedom to decide for myself, “said our interlocutor.
Her colleague has a good relationship with the editors, and formal with the management.
“This influence is sometimes reflected in the choice of topics that the editorial office imposes on journalists”, she says, adding: “External factors influence my work in a way that editor periodically sets up topics related to certain issues that are not sufficiently important for general public at that moment. I also notice the favors of certain interlocutors through topics that are processed in the media”.
Our interlocutors agree that the influence of individuals, parties or indirect groups can be difficult to avoid: “They do not influence too much and do not influence always, but they do influence. The utopia is that there is a media that, at least partly, is not inclined towards some side”.
Darko Ivanović from the Civic Alliance says that as the author of the programs broadcasted on both commercial and public media, he had a favorable position because he concluded contracts with the media houses that had a clause on editorial freedom.
“As long as we stood by it, there was no problem. I think that most journalists have considerable freedom but that it is oscillating from the interests of owners in private media to stunning self-censorship in public services in the country”, said Ivanović.
“Whenever a journalist financially depends on the owner, and the owners have certain interests and topics of special attention that are not allowed to be written about, this process is a kind of cage of journalistic freedoms”, says Ivanovic and adds: “Soft censorship that is reflected in advertising state institutions and often businesses in the media that are “suitable” creates additional pressure on the media who dare to write and launch topics of social importance, which deal with corruption, non-transparency, nepotism, chronism…”
The Union of Media in Montenegro has about 600 members, of which one third of its members work in private media. Our interlocutors are members of journalistic associations and because of that, they say, they did not have problems with the management of the media in which they work.
“I have not asked for their help so far. I can only help journalists through a more proactive approach. The problem is that the problems of journalists cannot be written in an objective way, because of the influence of management on editorial policy, “says one of the reporters.
Darko Ivanovic, who is also active in the Media Union, thinks that the solution for the current bad situation in the media is a change in the reporting process.
“This change should be carried out by the guild organizations, led by the Union and the journalists who are organizing it. A collective contract, a unique code of conduct, self-regulation are the key documents from which to start. Basically there is no ideal state and ideal answers. But I think that the key is the willingness of journalists to organize themselves and thus act towards employers”, he said.