SARAJEVO, April 6, 2021 – Investigative journalism requires a lot of time and resources and it can mean 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 it does not produce everyday content that “fills” the pages of newspapers or portals – it was pointed out during a workshop on investigative journalism for journalists from local media organized by the BH Journalists Association through the Zoom platform .

The workshop is held with the aim of empowering journalists, editors in local media, and freelance journalists from local communities to create and produce research / analytical content, in order to contribute to strengthening independent and free journalism in BiH.

Zina Tandir Đelilović, a journalist for Žurnal magazine and an educator at today’s workshop, says that there is no formula for becoming an investigative journalist, nor does every journalist want to be an investigative journalist. “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 particular topic. We must keep in mind that investigative journalism is a corrective to the society in which we live and as such is in the service of citizens“, said Djelilovic, adding that investigative journalism not only helps citizens fight for their rights but very often points to different types of irregularities in society and how different abuses can affect our lives.

Džana Brkanić, editor of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network believes that media professionals must have enough experience and knowledge to successfully assess whether something is worth researching. “It is important to learn the rules and laws of the system in which the story takes place in order to better understand and quickly recognize the importance of people and relationships that we will encounter during the research“, said Brkanic, emphasizing that the document is evidence, photography, conversation that sometimes one 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 and therefore some research lasts a month, some three, and even a year or more.

Dealing with investigative journalism in local communities can often be an awkward job, because while trying to expose non-transparent employment, suspicious tenders, criminal activities and many other illegal events to citizens, media workers are often attacked by powerful people, who are closely connected with politics or they are politicians themselves.

Eldina Bećirbašić, journalist of Media Pulse from Sarajevo, is of the opinion that the possibilities of local media for investigative stories depend primarily on the will, courage and interest of people working in local media as well as on their willingness to face possible negative reactions and consequences for media and journalists to their investigative story, and the potential pressures that make many not even engage in this type of journalism. “Investigative journalism is important because it points to important, systemic problems that people face in their local communities or beyond. Problematizing a certain problem in the public provokes a lot of reactions, but also the possibility to address it and solve it faster than it would have happened without the research “, points out Bećirbašić.

Jelena Zekić, a journalist for Radio Osvita from Zvornik, says that investigative journalism is important because it can be used to scratch and solve some long-standing problems in the community. “Capacities and resources for creating investigative stories are very limited and small, almost non-existent in small local media“, said Zekic, who also believes it is possible to engage in investigative journalism in small communities, but that the question is how much loophole he faces a certain problems that will follow.

The webinar participants agreed that, although the material situation in the local media is difficult and the resources for funding investigative journalism are limited, there are still mechanisms by which media professionals can empower and create investigative stories, educate about their rights and opportunities, and develop professional competencies and be more motivated for this type of journalism. Also, the need to secure grants and favorable ways of financing small local media was re-emphasized.

The webinar was part of the project “Free Media for a Free Society” 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 the 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.

In order to improve the situation and improve the regulation in RSM, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) continues with activities aimed at analyzing and improving the knowledge of our members regarding the impact of the Copyright Law on the work of media workers. This time, with the support of the Sigrid Rising Trust (SRT), AJM prepared this publication, which analyzes and provides conclusions and recommendations for improving the Law on Copyright and Other Related Rights and his application primarily in journalism.

This publication’s focus is to analyze the situation in the country in the context of compliance with the provisions of the law or to which person belongs the copyright over his copyright work. It is also emphasized the need to raise awareness among journalists and media workers, but also in general among all relevant stakeholders about the importance of copyright and other related rights, to improve knowledge of applicable laws and their application, as well as to improve the existing norm with that of the European Union. A big challenge is the series of problems that arise from ignorance, non-compliance, and inappropriate application of the legislation in copyright and related rights.

This Analysis also deals with the Provisions of the LCRR relevant to journalists and media workers. The topic is elaborated in more detail in the context of what is considered an authorial work and the law’s text that affects journalists and media workers. The challenges of online media and plagiarism are also covered – the Code of Journalists of Macedonia and self-regulation and the European practice – EU Directive 2019/790 on copyright and other related rights.

At the following link, you can download and read the publication!

This publication precedes an expert webinar organized by AJM and the Macedonian Media Institute on 16-17.12.2020 on the topic “How the Law on Copyright and Related Rights Affects the Work of Journalists, Photojournalists and Media Workers.”

SARAJEVO, April 1, 2021 – The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association welcomes the announcement of the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH Fadil Novalic that next Monday at a meeting with the prime ministers of the cantons and ministers of health he will propose that media workers must enter the priority of vaccination. Prime Minister Novalic stated this yesterday for FENA agency, and added that he hopes “that other prime ministers will understand the importance and courage of people who work in journalism and try to give our citizens as much accurate and quality information as possible.”

After months of no response from the Federal Government to requests and appeals from journalists’ associations and media representatives to include journalists among the priority categories for vaccination, yesterday’s statement by Federal Prime Minister Novalic is certainly encouraging for all media professionals, who have been at daily risk for more than a year trying to provide citizens with timely and verified information regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the Steering Committee of BH Journalists draws attention to the fact that the mentioned Novalic’s announcement followed a few hours after the statement of the Minister of Health of Sarajevo Canton Haris Vranic, who told Klix.ba that journalists in Sarajevo Canton will not be included in the priority group for vaccination against coronavirus, which provoked revolt among numerous media employees in Sarajevo.

Considering the mentioned context and the fact that the governments of Republika Srpska, Brčko District and Zenica-Doboj Canton have already made a decision to include media workers on the list of priorities, while the Government of FBiH was silent on this issue until yesterday, BH Journalists, as well as our colleagues from the media in Sarajevo Canton, reject any kind of political struggles between SDA political party and the parties of the “three” that are currently in power in Sarajevo Canton in connection with the decision to put journalists on the priority list. We want to believe that the statement of Prime Minister Fadil Novalic is an expression of sincere intention to enable journalists to work in a safe and healthy environment, and that by prioritizing all media workers, the Government of the Federation of BiH wants to ensure an equal level of their protection throughout the Federation of BiH and the right to an equal level of health care.

We emphasize that the BH Journalists Association does not expect media workers to be on the same level with health workers, chronically ill or people over the age of 65, who should certainly have zero priority in the process of vaccination. However, due to the nature of the work they perform and the day-to-day contacts with large number of people, journalists, cameramen, photojournalists and other members of media crews are far more exposed to potential infection than those who can work from home or office. Therefore, we believe that these are the only valid reasons for putting journalists and all other media workers on the priority list on a par with police officers, firefighters, teachers and employees of other public institutions who also come into contact with a large number of people.

We remind that since the beginning of the pandemic, hundreds of our colleagues throughout BiH have been infected with the coronavirus while performing their work tasks and many, unfortunately, have tragically passed away as a result of the infection.

SARAJEVO, March 31, 2021 – The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line (FMHL) condemn today’s arrest of the correspondent of O Channel, Vahidin Mujagić, who was detained by police officers while on duty in Brod.

While filming the Brod Oil Refinery, police officers approached journalist Mujagić and, explaining that it was not allowed to film the Refinery, demanded that the footage be confiscated, then took the journalist to the police car and issued him a misdemeanor warrant for unauthorized filming.

In his report to the FMHL, Mujagić points out that nowhere at the place where he filmed the Refinery was there a sign that filming was prohibited. Also, the journalist did not enter the Refinery facility itself, and his goal was to record the gas pipelines that were installed by the Republic of Croatia a few days ago on the territory of BiH.

With respect to all legal procedures and rules that apply when it comes to filming / photographing certain protected objects, the Steering Committee of BH Journalists considers that taking journalist of O Channel to the police car in Brod was unnecessary and unjustified, especially considering the fact that colleague Mujagić was detained while performing journalistic tasks in the interest of the public and of importance to all citizens of Brod and BiH.

In addition, warnings prohibiting the recording of certain objects must be clearly displayed in visible places and in all directions from which these objects are approached. Informing bh. citizens on the installation of gas pipelines on the territory of BiH by another state – Croatia, is a topic of priority importance for the public and does not refer to the decision of management to protect the territory of the Refinery from unauthorized filming. The reaction of the police was not proportionate or represented a balance between the right to freedom of expression and the collection of information-recordings of public importance, on the one hand, and the ban on filming special facilities, on the other.

If a journalist has committed a misdemeanor, he should certainly be held accountable in accordance with the law. However, the detention of journalists while performing journalistic tasks in the public interest is a gross attack on media freedoms and journalistic rights.

Journalists and all other media professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina often point out that they have very good communication with police officers and representatives of police institutions. Such incidents disrupt such a relationship and certainly do not contribute to mutual understanding between the two professions.

The Steering Committee of BH Journalists therefore calls on the RS Ministry of the Interior and Brod Police Station officials to investigate the case in detail and do everything in their power to prevent such incidents in the future.

SARAJEVO, 31.03.2021. – The US State Department has published a report on the state of human rights for 2020 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a special part of which is dedicated to the media and freedom of expression.

“Intimidation, harassment and threats, including numerous death threats to journalists and the media, continued throughout the year, without a systematic institutional response. A number of restrictive measures introduced to combat the pandemic were in some cases abused to restrict access to information,” the State Department said.

Political bias and financial pressures

A significant amount of media coverage was dominated by nationalist rhetoric and ethnic and political bias, often inciting intolerance and sometimes hatred. The lack of transparency in media ownership remains a problem, the report said.

In its report, the State Department also refers to data from the Free Media Help Line (FMHL), which operates within the BH Journalists Association, which indicates that courts still fail to distinguish between different media genres (especially news and comments) in defamation proceedings, while long court proceedings are financially exhausting for journalists and the media. According to FMHL data cited in the report, the number of defamation proceedings against journalists and editors remains high, especially in cases where journalists have investigated crime and corruption. Improper implementation of the defamation law has put direct pressure on journalists and the media and threatened journalists’ right to freedom of expression.

The State Department also states that political and financial pressure on media outlets in BiH continues, and the negative economic effects of the pandemic have eroded the financial stability of the media across the country, making them more susceptible to external influences and pressures. During 2020, the number of physical attacks on journalists increased, and on several occasions, public officials obstructed the work of journalists. Faced with criticism, officials continued the practice of calling journalists “traitors” or labeling them as members of opposition political parties to discredit them.

Some political parties and institutions at the entity level have tried to influence editorial policy and media content through legal and financial measures. As a result, some media outlets practiced self-censorship.

Limited access to information

The State Department’s 2020 report specifically highlights that the past year has been marked by attempts to restrict access to pandemic-related information. A number of media complained to the FMHL because local authorities limited the possibility to ask questions at press conferences and additional questions related to Covid-19.

In April, a group of journalists reported to FMHL that the director general of the University of Sarajevo Clinical Center shared information only with selected media, the report said.

The practice of pressuring journalists to censor their reporting continued throughout the year. Reaction to investigative stories aimed at corruption by senior judicial officials continued to put pressure on journalists. In addition, journalists who worked on stories revealing irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment during the pandemic were exposed to undue pressure.

“In June, several videos were posted on social media in an attempt to discredit journalists who wrote about the controversial purchase of medical ventilators in the Federation, which included the federal prime minister,” the State Department said.

Pressures from the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH

It is added that in 2019, the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH threatened to sue journalists who criticized its work, but that no legal action followed.

The State Department reminds that the BH Journalists Association fiercely protested on August 28 against the statement of the Prosecutor’s Office announcing that the Chief Prosecutor would file a defamation indictment against the daily newspaper Oslobodjenje and the media that shared their story, stating that the Chief State Prosecutor abused housing benefits.

At the time, BH Journalists stressed that the Prosecutor’s Office and the Chief Prosecutor continued to put pressure on the media and journalists, noting that public officials, the government and other officials could not sue journalists for defamation as officials (only privately) and that the Chief Prosecutor used official communication channels of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH to threaten journalists with defamation lawsuits.

BH Journalists characterized this as unacceptable pressure on the media and abuse of the position of Chief Prosecutor.

The State Department report also cites individual cases of attacks on journalists.

State laws provide for a high level of freedom of expression, but irregular and, in some cases, misapplication and enforcement of the law have seriously undermined media freedom. The law prohibits expression that provokes racial, ethnic or other intolerance, including “hate speech,” but authorities have not enforced the restrictions, the report concluded.

The report is available HERE.

BEOGRAD, 30.03.2021. – IJAS expresses concern for the safety of the journalist of the Zig Info portal, Milan Jovanovic, who was prevented from doing his job on Monday. He went out on the field to make a story about the alleged illegal connection on the city water of Zivadin Mitric in a field in Vrcin. While he was taking photos, Mitric and his wife got out of the car, closed the gate and prevented him from coming out, then they took photos of him and left.

Milan Jovanovic and his wife Jela lost their home in the flames in 2018. Former mayor of Grocka, Dragoljub Simonovic, former director of the Serbian Railways and a prominent member of the Serbian Progressive Party, was convicted for that crime for four years and three months in prison for inciting the burning of the journalists’ house.

Beside him, Vladimir Mihailovic was also sentenced to four years in prison in the first instance for the same crime, and Aleksandar Marinkovic, who actually threw a “Molotov cocktail” into the garage, was sentenced in the first instance to four years and three months as the direct perpetrator. Marinkovic is still on the run, while Igor Novakovic, who also participated in the chain of incitement to attack, and who hired Marinkovic, has not  yet been convicted, because the case against him has been separated.

Although those responsible were mostly convicted, Milan Jovanovic remained to live and do his job honestly and fairly in the same place as before, fighting for the truth in a very dangerous environment.

Precisely because of that, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia also expresses fear for safety of Milan and Jela, since he resented many with his professional work, because of which he went through hell itself.

We want to draw the attention of government officials and institutions not to take Milan Jovanovic out of focus and do everything in their power to make him feel safe and secure as a journalist, but also a citizen of this country.

IJAS will certainly register this case in the database of attacks and pressures on journalists, and inform the authorities and institutions.

IJAS,

30. march 2021.

PODGORICA, 30.03.2021. – It is necessary to develop new models of cooperation in order to affirm the right of the public to know, it was concluded at the meeting of the representatives of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) and the President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Aleksa Becic.

On behalf of TUMM, the meeting was attended by the president, Marijana Camovic Velickovic, vice president Radomir Krackovic and a member of the Main Board, Boris Pejovic.

Talking about the realized projects of the new parliamentary leadership, Becic expressed readiness to work in a more dynamic cooperation with the institutions of the system on improving the overall social environment for the work of media representatives, including joint work on finding solutions to improve the legislative framework to prevent attacks on journalists and their property.

Representatives of TUMM informed the President of the Parliament about the challenges in their work and expressed the expectation that in joint communication, they will promote the creation of a long-lasting institutional and legislative concept for their engagement.

The interlocutors exchanged views on issues of media pluralism, as well as the openness of the work of the Montenegrin Parliament. It was concluded that it is necessary to continuously develop new models of cooperation, in order to jointly contribute to the development of not only better legal solutions concerning media, but also full affirmation of the public’s right to be truthfully, fully and timely informed on issues of public importance.