PODGORICA, 16.04.2021 – Criminal Code of Montenegro should be amended to better protect journalists and media workers, it was said at the meeting of representatives of the Government and the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG), which was held in the building Government of Montenegro. The meeting was attended by the advisors to the Deputy Prime Minister Filip Adzic and Miloš Perišić, as well as the Vice President of the SMCG Radomir Krackovic, the President of the Trade Union of Radio Television of Montenegro, Jadranka Drobnjak, and the expert associate Drazen Djuraskovic.

The Vice President of the SMCG, Radomir Krackovic, informed the representatives of the Government about the activities of the SMCG, whose focus is on improving the socio-economic position of media employees, but also their safety. Krackovic referred to the problem of frequent attacks on journalists, three of which occurred recently, pointing to the problem of impunity, ie the fact that the most serious attacks remain unsolved. That is why, as he said, SMCG supported the initiative of the Human Rights Action (HRA) to amend the Criminal Code to protect journalists, by prescribing new crimes for attacks on journalists, but also by advancing the penal policy.

Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister Filip Adzic said that the media are an important factor in every society and that the Government should make a key contribution to improving the environment in which journalists have been working for decades. Speaking about the difficult position of the media, Adzic also referred to the annual reports of international organizations, which clearly speak about the decade-long lack of media freedom in Montenegro. Adzic emphasized that the first democratic change of government in the history of Montenegro is a good starting point for the state to address the problems of journalists and media workers in the coming period, but also to solve previously unsolved cases of attacks on journalists.

Considering the models of amendments to the provisions of the Criminal Code of Montenegro, the interlocutors noted the bad situation in the media and agreed that penalties must be tightened to improve the safety of media employees.

The president of the Trade Union of RTCG employees, Jadranka Drobnjak, informed about the current problems that the workers in the Public Service have, the debts of RTCG towards them and, in general, about the current situation in that media house.

Representatives of SMCG also presented the current activities when it comes to the announced changes in media legislation and the development of the Media Strategy of the Government of Montenegro, which, among other things, they discussed with the Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society, and Media, Tamara Srzentic.

The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the problems of employees in the local media, and especially the financial sustainability and political influences on local public broadcasters.

Adzic expressed the openness of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office to all proposals concerning changes to the legislative framework, which will ultimately mean an improvement in the conditions in which journalists work.

SARAJEVO, April 16, 2021 – With each new IPA the rules are tightened and the scale is raised because it is assumed that the beneficiary countries are strengthening their capacities, so with the new financial instrument IPA III the requirements are much more serious. Countries wishing to use this financial support must adhere to special rules, it was pointed out at webinar on the topic of new pre-accession instrument IPA III 2021-2027, which was held today, organized by the Directorate for European Integration – DIPAK Office in partnership with BH Journalists Association, with the support of GIZ / SPI.

– IPA is not an obligation, it is a great opportunity that the European Commission offers to use in the process of joining EU, and there are special rules for it. In the Office of the State IPA Coordinator, it is always in our favor for journalists to ask as much about this, because we want this understanding to penetrate as deeply as possible into BiH society. We are obliged to clearly and precisely transmit information about IPA, without any political background – said Zara Halilović, Assistant Director of the Directorate for European Integration.

Borka Rudić, Secretary General of BH Journalists, said that there are two parallel processes in BiH when it comes to EU integration, which should actually be a joint process.

– One is run by state institutions, which are often under the critical scrutiny of journalists and media, and on the other hand we have civil society as a kind of opposition to the authorities and a monitor of what the authorities are doing. It is important for us as an Association to help our colleagues solve some dilemmas that journalists have, to determine what are the most important sources of information for journalists when it comes to the process of BiH’s accession to the European Union, what IPA actually means and what are the areas that BiH can improve – says Rudić.

Project consultants Elmida Sarić and Ranko Milanović-Blank spoke about what new IPA offers and what is especially important for the beneficiary countries, as well as journalists in that process.

– Each country has a national IPA coordinator (DIPAK) who has special powers and represents the main partner of the European Commission in the process of using IPA. The ultimate goal is to support the country in achieving political, economic and sectoral reforms – said Elmida Sarić.

Consultant Ranko Milanović-Blank stated that BiH can withdraw more funds from IPA III than it was through the IPA II project, but that depends on meeting the criteria of relevance for the conditions of EU integration. He also presented key differences between IPA II and IPA III support.

Midhat Džemić pointed out that the media can also be beneficiaries of this assistance through the area of ​​human rights, which is one of the thematic priorities of IPA III, as well as civil society organizations.

EU integrations through media content and recommendations for more serious monitoring of the entire process was the theme of doc.dr. Enes Osmančević from the Faculty of Philosophy in Tuzla. Presenting the conclusions of one of his researches, dr. Osmančević said that the presence of topics on Euro-Atlantic integration in BiH is generally weak and that such contents mostly have a daily informative, not educational character. Personnel and professional strengthening, especially of online media in BiH, strengthening of integration-oriented political forces and movements, as well as more knowledge about European and NATO integrations are necessary for better media coverage in this area, Osmančević pointed out.

The Independent Journalists Association of Serbia strongly condemns the brutal attack on journalist Daško Milinović in Novi Sad.

Namely, Milinović, the radio host of the show “Daško & Mlađa”, was attacked by two young men, this morning at around 6:45 am, in Vojvode Knićanina Street, near the “Vasa Stajić” Elementary School, in Novi Sad, while going to work. The attack caused him minor bodily injury. According to the information known so far, the attackers initially sprayed him with tear gas, and most likely tried to hit him in the head with a rod, however, the journalist managed to cover his face with his hand, so he managed to mitigate the outcome of the attack. The attackers then fled. Milinović has minor bodily injuries and is currently in the Emergency Center. The police and the competent prosecutor’s office acted urgently in connection with this event.

On this occasion, we also express our concern for the safety of journalist Milinović, since this is obviously an organized action. Also, this kind of an attack is reminiscent of earlier brutal exploits from the dark past towards members of the journalistic profession.

We have been warning for a long time about the atmosphere in the society that leads to such attacks on journalists who are critical on certain topics.

This year alone, IJAS recorded 35 cases in its Database of Attacks and Pressures, including this one, while in the previous year there were 189 cases, ie 32 cases of physical attacks.

We will register this case in the Database of Attackers and Pressure of Journalists as well as in our regional database SafeJournalists.net, and inform the competent authorities, institutions and international organizations. We also welcome the quick reaction of the competent authorities and we hope that they will quickly and efficiently investigate the whole case and punish the perpetrators.

IJAS,

16^th April  2021.

No one can deny that 2020 was a terrible year due to the pandemic, so the “Amnesty International” report was facing a great challenge to crystallize everything that happened on a global scale. However, in the regional countries of the Western Balkans, the authorities have also seized the opportunity to stifle that little bit of media freedom left. All researchers from media organizations, which are members of the SafeJournalist Network, agreed with the evaluation of the report, but they certainly gave a deeper context to it.

Albania

In March, the Prime Minister threatened media organizations with closure for “spreading panic” over COVID-19. The authorities retracted a controversial anti-defamation law that threatened online media freedom. In August, the authorities seized “Ora News TV” following an investigation into the owner’s assets. The media group remained operational.

“I have documented and reported the incidents affecting media which are listed in the report as well, but also the excessive use of force in the clashes in May and December 2020”, said BlerjanaBino, researcher within the SafeJournalist Network for Albania.

She said that “the SafeJournalist Network has also reacted accordingly and even alerted European authorities about the excessive use of force towards journalists in December 2020. clashes in Tirana and Durres”.

“2020.was a very difficult year for media in Albania, media freedom during 2020.has decreased. Concerns over the safety of journalists increased with 19 alerts including threats against the lives and physical safety of journalists, non-physical threats and harassments, actual attacks, and threats and attacks on media institutions”, she said.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The BH Journalists Association recorded nearly 30 cases of serious violations of media freedom, including physical assault and death threats against journalists and other media workers. Journalists and others criticizing the government’s COVID-19 response faced backlash and censorship. In several cantons, independent journalists were denied access to government briefings on the COVID-19 crisis. In March, the Republika Srpska government issued a decree prohibiting the “incitement of panic and disorder” and imposed heavy fines for violations. At least 18 people were charged under the decree before it was repealed in late April, including a medical doctor who expressed concern on social media about the lack of equipment and capacities in local hospitals. Authorities of BH Federation actively monitored private social media accounts and criminally charged at least five people for “spreading false information and panic” in March. At the end of the year, there was no credible information on whether any of the charges were dropped. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights warned that the measures limited the right to freedom of expression.

“The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 left significant, primarily economic, consequences on the work of journalists and the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Immediately after the declaration of a state of natural or other disasters in mid-March, about 10% of journalists and other media employees lost their jobs and contracts with part-time associates and freelancers were terminated in a number of media outlets”, Maja Radevic said, researcher of the SJ Network in front of the BH Journalists Association.

She added that “most media outlets have been left without permanent sources of funding from their advertisers”.

“Although journalists; associations and the media community, as well as members of the European Parliament, have proposed the establishment of a fund for financial assistance to the media, such initiatives have not been considered in the relevant institutions”, she added.

“In terms of numbers, there were less attacks and threats in comparison to 2019. However, the rising trend of pressures from politicians, public officials and judicial institutions on journalists is very worrying. Online violence against journalists, especially female journalists, is also on the rise, as well as hate speech, threats and harassment via social networks. In most such cases, the attackers are not sanctioned”, Maja Radevic said.

Croatia

Journalists investigating corruption and organized crime continued to face threats and intimidation. According to the Croatian Journalists’ Association over 900 lawsuits were filed against journalists and media outlets for “violation of honour and reputation”. The European Federation of Journalists warned that such lawsuits had a chilling effect on journalists and the media.

Researcher Monika Kutri from CJA said that everything that was written in the report is true.

“I would add that lawsuits have become a big problem in Croatia because they represent an ‘elegant’ form of attack on journalists. Many of these lawsuits are slapps and they actually exist to discourage and exhaust journalists financially and mentally. Last year, according to data collected by the CJA, there were at least 905 lawsuits against journalists and the media, most of which will most likely be determined to fall apart. Croatian Radio-Television was extremely active in the issue of lawsuits, so it sued a lot of other media, the Croatian Journalists’ Association, and even its own employees”, she said.

Kosovo

Investigative journalists faced threats, slurs and attacks. In June, the former Minister of European Integration opened a defamation lawsuit against JetaXharra, director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, KALLXO.com and Prishtina Insight. In July, Jeta Xharra was threatened by another former minister, and in September, former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj called journalists “mercenaries”. In October, journalist Shkumbin Kajtazi’s car was damaged by gunfire outside his home in Mitrovica.

Getoarbe Mulliqi from the Association of Journalists of Kosovo said that “’the Amnesty International Report 2020/21’ findings regarding the Freedom of Expression are a reflection of the situation of the media and journalists in Kosovo”.

“The trend of state officials and political officials assaulting, threatening and lynching journalists is increasing. It is disturbing as it leads to other attacks and threats toward journalists, not only by officials but by citizens as well. The number of threats and attacks toward journalists has increased in comparison to previous years, and it should be mentioned that Jeta Xharra and Shkumbin Kajtazi were subject to threats twice each within the same year”, she said.

Getoarbe added that “the AJK has a fruitful cooperation with Kosovo Police”.

“As well as the Prosecutor’s office, however the chain breaks when it comes to the judiciary, as the sentences are either not proportional to the crime, or are prolonged until there is no case whatsoever”, she said.

Montenegro

Impunity continued for historic attacks on journalists, including investigative journalist Olivera Lakic, who was shot in 2018. In December, NGO Human Rights Action urged the State Prosecutor to provide protection to Olivera Lakic, after a plan to assassinate her was revealed. In January, proceedings were initiated against three journalists, detained for between 14-28 hours for “causing panic and disorder”; two were prosecuted. Private individuals were similarly detained, four of them for posting “false news” about COVID-19 on social media; three were indicted. The Appeals Courts quashed the convictions of two other individuals fined under public order legislation for criticizing officials online.

“The previous year was very challenging in terms of freedom of expression in Montenegro, especially when it comes to the safety of journalists. This is confirmed by the latest report by Amnesty International. The biggest problem is still that the most serious attacks on journalists, such as the attempted murder of journalist Olivera Lakic, or the murder of the editor-in-chief of ‘Dan’, Dusko Jovanovic, did not receive an adequate legal epilogue”, Bojana Lakovic Kontar from the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro stated.

She said that “lack of capacity or political will to tackle these attacks is causing fear among journalists, who are increasingly reluctant to investigate topics such as corruption or organized crime”.

“It is not encouraging that the state bodies in charge of investigating these attacks, such as the prosecution, did not cooperate with the Commission for the Investigation of Attacks on Journalists and Media Property, nor did they provide them with the necessary information. Also, the year behind us was marked by three arrests of journalists and editors for ‘causing panic and riots’, which is also a dangerous trend for journalists to be arrested for publishing news”, she added.

She added that the report still lacks some details.

“What is not stated in the report, and which also encourages insecurity and fear among the representatives of the public word in Montenegro, is the growing trend of threats through social networks. During the previous year alone, TUMM registered seven threats via social networks, and in some cases those threats moved to the ‘real’ world”, Bojana Lakovic Kontar said.

North Macedonia

On the other hand, Milan Spirovski from the Association of Journalists of Macedonia is surprised because there is no part on Freedom of Expression for his country.

“We are surprised by the fact that in this year’s report, there is no section dedicated to the safety of journalists, although the trend in 2020.is worrying and  has increased compared to previous years. There is also a partstating that the government was working on disinformation reforms in September 2020.which is not correct as there were no such activities”, he said and added that “they had  sent a formal request to the government regarding this with a question which were the reforms mentioned in that information”.

“At the moment we are waiting for a formal reply, but meanwhile we were unofficially informed that, in fact, such a reform does not exist”, he said.

Serbia

Physical attacks, intimidation and political slurs on social media against media workers continued. In April, journalist Ana Lalic was arrested for “causing panic” while investigating conditions in hospitals; staff were prohibited from providing “unauthorized” information. Journalists were briefly excluded from government press conferences, ostensibly for health reasons. In July, the Finance Ministry targeted individuals, investigative journalists and 37 human rights NGOs in demanding bank account details under a law used to investigate terrorist financing and money laundering.

Rade Djuric from Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbiaespecially emphasizes repressive measures during the state of emergency, in particular when it comes to the arrest of Ana Lalic under the accusation of spreading panic or the arrest of journalists DanijelRadic and Robert Bajtai in Zrenjanin for violating the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases.

“Ana’s phone was also confiscated, she was detained during the evening, that is night, and it turned out that perhaps the real goal was the intention to find and intimidate sources of information, which was clear after the start of internal investigations against unidentified persons who disclosed information within the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina”, he said.

Rade added that “the (last) year was especially marked by physical attacks and injuries of journalists”.

“Number increased (22 in the Safejournalists database) compared to previous periods (in 2019, 11 direct physical threats and attacks were recorded). In 22 separate incidents, 31 journalists were physically attacked or threatened, in our database we record 20 incidents, slightly different from the SJ base. The biggest reason for that is the violent demonstrations in July, where we recorded 15 different attacks and threats”, he said.

Rade notes that “there is a lot of data that indicates that the police and the judiciary are under almost complete control of the executive branch”.

“The prosecution and the police act selectively, efficiently in specific cases, and this usually happens when it comes to cases in which the attackers are ordinary citizens and people with health problems. Most cases are still rejected and if they are resolved, it is mostly a matter of the principle of opportunity, i.e. admission of guilt“, he said.

SARAJEVO, April 15, 2021 – Investigative story must contain original work of journalists, not just transmission of other people’s discoveries, point out systemic problems, and must explain complex social problems, reveal corruption, bad behavior and abuse of power – it was pointed out during the workshop on investigative journalism for media workers and freelance journalists from local communities, which was organized by the BH Journalists Association, through the Zoom platform.

Investigative journalism is based on the original investigative work of journalists, and reveals information that an individual, organization or government seeks to hide from the public and arguably points to a problem of general interest. The information that is tried to be hidden is usually that related to abuses in public services, illegal financing of election campaigns, corruption in the judiciary, police, health, education, and the connection between crime and politics, bribery and the like.

Zinaida Đelilović, a journalist for Zurnal magazine, is of the opinion that investigative journalism requires a lot of time and resources and that it very often means that one or more people from the editorial office deal with only one investigative story for a long time. “The fact is that not every media can afford it, because in that way everyday content is not produced which “fills” the pages of newspapers or portals. But, investigative journalism can be done by any journalist, regardless of the medium in which he is employed, it’s all a matter of approaching a certain topic“, believes Đelilović, adding that investigative journalism helps citizens fight for their rights, and often points to different types of irregularities in society and how abuses can affect our lives.

Džana Brkanić, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in BiH (BIRN BiH), says that the biggest challenge for journalists, especially colleagues who are just starting out in journalism, is to find a story to research, but that it shouldn’t worry them much because the story has more than investigative journalists in BiH. “For young beginner journalists, the most important thing is to be informed on a daily basis, because they do not yet have an elaborate network of so-called informants, contacts, or sources of information. By reading the press and the portal, we develop journalistic skills of recognizing important information every day, we get to know events and personalities of interest to the public, potential interlocutors or sources, and we come to topics” Brkanić points out.

She also adds that it is important to learn the rules and laws of the system in which the story takes place at the outset so that we can more easily understand and quickly recognize the importance of the people and relationships we encounter during research. “The document is proof. Photography. A recording of the conversation. You need to know how to save the Print Screen so that it is not rebuttable in court. Sometimes one piece of paper is enough for a good story, and much more often the confirmation of the story is deeply hidden in the riots of paper that a journalist pulls out of public institutions, institutions, companies or banks. That is why some researches last a month, some three, and some even a year or more“, concludes Brkanić.

Workshops on investigative journalism, which have so far empowered 108 media professionals and freelance journalists from local media, were organized with the aim of strengthening independent and free journalism in local communities, and applying European standards in protecting freedom of expression and access to quality and objective information. The need for such workshops has been recognized by the BH Journalists Association, given the fact that small local media do not have the financial capacity or human resources to create research / analytical articles on various “sensitive” topics, which are “hidden” in each local community in BiH. Another reason why journalists in local communities find it difficult to decide to be researchers are constant pressures, attacks, (self) censorship by various centers of power, as well as dependence on funding sources.

Azra Mustedanagić, a FACE TV journalist from Sarajevo, believes that investigative journalism is very important, especially in local communities. “I am of the opinion that everything should start from us and our local community. We need to know if something is being built properly, how many spaces are provided by law for parking and similar things. Citizens also need to know how safe their local community is for them and their children. This can only be found out through investigative journalism, and by publishing clear and concrete evidence“, says Mustedanagić.

As for the capacities and resources available to local media, Mustedanagic is of the opinion that certain capacities exist, but that resources are few or almost non-existent: “A lot of media depends on various factors, which are mostly of a financial nature. I think it is sometimes difficult for editors / owners and directors to “resist” this, given that their workers ’salaries depend on secure sources of funding. We should not forget that some media outlets have very few people in the newsroom, and the focus is always on the daily news. “

Mihaela Amidžić, a journalist from the Mladibl.com portal from Banja Luka, says that investigative journalism in local communities is necessary in terms of changes in social conditions, because stories that expose corruption, crime, improper privatizations, etc. they have an influence on public opinion that wants change in its environment. “Also, it is important to dedicate as much as possible to research stories in order to influence the work of state bodies and thus sanction irregularities, and scandals that are on the rise. I am of the opinion that the local media have many obstacles and challenges in creating research stories. Primarily, much more financial resources are needed, greater persistence and better education of journalists, and of course there is also a problem with the interlocutors, that is, their choice and consent to speak publicly” Amidzic believes. She adds that it is necessary to create better conditions for investigative journalism, “since the governing structures directly or indirectly influence the work of the media, they often put pressure on journalists for reporting that does not benefit them, and therefore the investigative journalist should remain persistent, which is why he needs more support from the community“.

Participants in workshops from local media from all over BiH agree that investigative journalism requires above all courage and will, but also knowledge of their basic rights, as well as constant education and upgrading of knowledge, which empowers them to effectively resist various influences and pressures. In addition, media professionals believe that systemic support is needed for small media, especially during the corona virus pandemic, which would provide them with financial support on the one hand, and on the other hand ensure the independence needed to maintain professional standards and journalistic dignity.

The workshop on investigative journalism was held within the project “Free Media for a Free Society“, which is implemented by the BH Journalists Association in cooperation with the Association of Electronic Media in BiH with the support of the European Union. The aim of this project is to strengthen independent and free journalism in local communities, and the application of European standards in the protection of freedom of expression and access of citizens to quality and objective information.