Today, the AJK’s Board held its second meeting, where 8 out of 9 members of the Board participated.

Xhemajl Rexha – Chairman of the Board, informed the other members about the meetings that he has held with local and international partners regarding the protection of freedom of speech, the rights of journalists and the promotion of their work.

They also discussed about the projects that will be implemented from the beginning of September, the Award Ceremony for Poverty Eradication, as well as new ideas and projects to promote the work of journalists, cameramen, photojournalists and the improvement of the climate of doing journalism.

Association of Journalists of Kosovo – AJK has provided protective equipments against Covid-19 to several local media throughout Kosovo, as part of a donation from first half of this year. The local media from Prizren, Ferizaj, Klina, Istog, Peja, North Mitrovica and Kamencia were sent following items: jackets, vests, protective clothing, gloves, face shields, face masks and disinfectants.

AJK would like to thank all of our local and international partners who helped our community in providing protective equipments facilitating their work facing Covid-19 pandemic.

BIHAĆ, August 25, 2021 – On July 12 this year, the Municipal Court in Bihać issued a decision terminating the misdemeanor proceedings against freelance journalist and cameraman Ajdin Kamber. Kamber was issued a misdemeanor report from the Bihać Police Station on April 20^th last year for allegedly violating curfew, which was in force at the time by order of the federal Crisis Staff.

As judge Zlatan Dedić stated in the explanation of the court decision, the Municipal Court in Bihać decided to suspend the misdemeanor proceedings because it was established that Kamber was performing journalistic tasks at the time the misdemeanor warrant was issued, and he proved this to the police on the spot by showing them his press accreditation. The court also took into account the verdict of the Constitutional Court of BiH which upheld the appeal of a number of people on the right to freedom of movement and violated right to privacy following orders from the Federal Ministry of Health Crisis Staff, including a curfew.

Journalist Ajdin Kamber was represented in this procedure by defense attorney Jasmina Šarić Hasanović, who was hired by the BH Journalists Association through the service of the Free Media Help Line (FMHL).

Since March 2021, seven verdicts and court decisions have been passed in favor of journalists through the legal team of the Free Media Help Line.

PODGORICA, August 23, 2021 – Although announced, the changes listed in the new Media Law did not occur during the first year of application of the umbrella media law.

One of the significant novelties of the Law is, among other things, the obligation to keep a record of media payments based on advertising and other contractual obligations.

In this way, the long-standing criticism of the civil sector addressed to the state funding of certain media, gets its epilogue.

Those records were supposed to be available by March 31 for the previous year, and the new authorities recently sent a reminder to the public administration bodies on their obligation to record and publish such expenditures on their websites.

“Through the transparency of media financing by public sector bodies, continuous public insight into the amount, their type and basis are enabled,” says the invitation of the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media.

The Ministry also keeps a record of financial resources allocated to the media from public revenues. The records contain data on the funds received for public services and the funds received from the public sector.

“The obligation to submit data has the public sector bodies that allocate funds for the provision of public services, as well as the founder of the media within 30 days from the day of allocation, ie obtaining financial resources,” reads the invitation.

In the form of an annual report, the Ministry announces the total allocation of public sector funds to the media as of June 1 of the current year for the previous year.

PODGORICA, August 2, 2021 – The informative program, with about 23 percent, occupies a significant place in broadcasting on TV stations with national coverage, showed the Analysis of the program structure of TV broadcasters, which was done by the Agency for Electronic Media.

TVCG1 has the most informative content – 37.57 percent, followed by TV Vijesti – 32.14 percent and TV Nova M – 19.16 percent. TV Prva has the least informative content – 5.37 percent.

The analysis was done on the basis of data obtained by monitoring the program broadcasted from 19 to 25 June on TV stations with national coverage.

By type of content, the analysis shows, the cultural and artistic program dominates, with an average of 35 percent of the total broadcast content. That percentage is significantly related to movies and TV series.

“The entertainment program on average takes up about 17 percent of the total broadcast time, which is mostly made up of quizzes, lifestyle and showbiz shows, as well as music programs. The most entertaining content is on the program of TV Prva – 26.90, and the least on the program of Television Vijesti – 9.37 percent. The documentary-educational program on average makes about eight percent of the total broadcast program, which is primarily contributed by TVCG1, with the participation of the documentary program of 27.59 percent. The participation of this type of content in the program of commercial broadcasters is very small “, reads the Analysis.

As they emphasize, sports programs on average make up about six percent of the total program, while children’s content is very small, about one percent on average.

The analysis further showed that the observed televisions produce on average about 27 percent of their own program, while they buy a little more than half of the broadcast program, and that primarily refers to movies and TV series, as well as entertainment programs.

The average share of the rebroadcast program is about two percent, with TVCG1 and Television Vijesti not having such a program.

The AJK Board is very much concerned after receiving the news on the threat and obstruction of work of journalist, Diellza Luzha and the camera operator, Blendi Shaqiri, of KALLXO.com portal. The team was working on a story in the courtyard of the Mitrovica Regional Hospital.

The KALLXO.com team’s work was obstructed by three unidentified persons, part of the hospital staff, who prevented them from performing their duties and put physical pressure on the camera operator, restricting the team movement and threatening to confiscate their equipment.

For AJK, such action poses unacceptable pressure and endangers the safety of journalists while they are on duty.

AJK calls on the management of the Mitrovica Regional Hospital to take measures against these persons and not to allow the recurrence of such situations.We also call upon the Police and the Prosecution to identify the perpetrators and take the necessary actions in order to address the case.