N1 correspondent threatened over protest report

12/03/2024

ksenija-pavkov-ql3tbfrqze7x31dsoxrpbrqmdprczoxdst1v7u1vgc — Slika: N1

Threats were made against N1’s Novi Sad correspondent over a report from a protest in that city.

Correspondent Ksenija Pavkov reported on a protest called over the disputed removal of three children from their home. The mother claims the removal of her children by the Social Services Center was illegal and denies any neglect of the children which was cited as the reason to take away her children. The N1 correspondent said in her report that some pro-regime tabloid reporters were attacked by the crowd and added that many of them believe the children were taken away as part of a plan to give them up for adoption for money outside the country. That part of her report drew anger on social media.

Posts on Telegram called N1 pro-Ustashe (WW 2 Croatian fascists allied with the Nazis) and called for harassment of its staff along with a number of other offensive comments. The posts also accused N1 and its correspondent of trying to present the protest organizers as conspiracy theorists.

N1 reported the threats to the authorities.

Pavkov told the Cenzolovka website that, given the sensitivity of this topic, she paid particular attention to making sure the report was balanced.

“I assessed that the public was insufficiently informed about this case and that this is why the context needed to be explained: who are the people who supported and organized the protest, what it is they hold against the Social Services Center. Specifically, they believe this case is part of an international conspiracy to abduct children, which is why they brought a criminal complaint against the Center during the rally I reported from. I also reported on the Center’s official position, but also allowed for the possibility that in this particular case this institution actually did make mistakes,” Pavkov told Cenzolovka.

Source: N1

The last module of the Information Integrity Academy was held

AJK

11/03/2024

Journalism students and journalists participating in the second edition of the Academy for Information Integrity delved into the field of cyber security within the media landscape this past Saturday.

Led by Prof. Dr. Blerim Rexha, a distinguished professor at the University of Pristina’s Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, this module emphasized the importance of cyber security measures. Discussions ranged from safeguarding personal data to protecting sensitive information relevant to their journalistic endeavors.

Additionally, participants discussed different online tools and strategies aimed at protecting their data, ensuring the security of both themselves and the media platforms they operate within. Experiences and challenges encountered in the field of cyber security were openly shared among participants, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

With this module, the second edition of the Academy for Information Integrity, which is supported by NDI Kosovo and USAID Kosovo, was concluded, and in the following weeks, the participants of this edition will go on a study visit in the region, where they will have the opportunity to exchange experiences with colleagues.

Open letter from CJA to citizens about the dangers of amendments to the Criminal code

CJA

11/03/2024

Before the decision of the Croatian Parliament on amendments to the Criminal Code introducing a new criminal offense of unauthorized disclosure of the content of investigative or evidentiary actions, the Croatian Journalists’ Association addressed the following open letter to the citizens of Croatia, co-signed by 18 media outlets:

The Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) addresses all citizens of the Republic of Croatia with an open letter once again warning of the harmfulness of adopting amendments to the Criminal Code – known as the “Lex AP” – for media freedom and the public’s right to be informed, which the Government of the Republic of Croatia has submitted to the Croatian Parliament for adoption.

Article 307.a of the Criminal Code “Unauthorized Disclosure of Content of Investigative or Evidentiary Action” is unacceptable to the HND, and we demand its withdrawal.

The public must know that the introduction of such a legal solution is an attack on the journalistic profession and public interest, and an open assault on whistleblowers.

If such a Criminal Code were currently in force, our colleagues who have been publishing the content of messages exchanged between a former state secretary and the elected chief state prosecutor for days would have been questioned several times already in informational interviews.

If such a Criminal Code were in force, the Croatian public would have been deprived of a whole series of scandals uncovered by our colleagues, which citizens must know about.

Although the proposer, as a guarantee to journalists that they will not be subjected to repression, included public interest as a reason for excluding unlawfulness in the legislative proposal and explicitly excluded journalists as possible perpetrators, instigators, or accomplices in the act of unauthorized disclosure of the content of investigative or evidentiary actions, this is not the case.

The CJA warns citizens of the worrying fact that our colleagues may have their mobile phones, laptops, and archives confiscated, as well as their emails intercepted. Their homes and apartments can be searched. As part of investigative actions, the prosecutor or police officer can call a journalist for an informational interview, not once, but as many times as they deem necessary. They can obtain lists of their telephone contacts, call colleagues and editors for interviews.

In the case of such a criminal offense, the aim of the investigation is to uncover the perpetrator, i.e., the person who made information of public interest available to journalists, and the journalist who published the story will be the starting point for investigators.

Such actions will result in every potential whistleblower carefully considering before approaching a journalist if they know that the police and prosecutors will search their contacts and collaborators. If this happens, we will all be deprived of key information, and the CJA is obliged to warn the public about it again.

The CJA calls on all colleagues to continue publishing stories of public interest professionally, as they have done so far. The CJA will provide concrete assistance to anyone who comes under attack from this law.

For the Croatian Journalists’ Association,

Hrvoje Zovko, President

Chiara Bilić, Vice President

Dragutin Hedl, Vice President

The letter is co-signed by:

Dražen Klarić, Editor-in-Chief of Večernji list

Goran Ogurlić, Editor-in-Chief of Jutarnji list

Ivan Buča, Editor-in-Chief of 24sata

Jelena Valentić, Editor-in-Chief of Telegram.hr

Sandra Lapenda Lemo, Editor-in-Chief of Slobodna Dalmacija

Andrea Radak, Editor-in-Chief of Novosti

Berislav Jelinić, Editor-in-Chief of Nacional

Zdravko Milinović, Editor-in-Chief of Globus

Igor Alborghetti, Editor-in-Chief of Express

Tihomir Ladišić, N1 Croatia

Silvija Šeparović, Editor-in-Chief of Yammat FM

Ines Brajević, Editor-in-Chief of Dalmatinski portal

Dražen Majić, Editor-in-Chief of Istra24

Željka Gavranović, Editor-in-Chief of PlusPortal

Ivor Fuka, Editor-in-Chief of Lupiga

Davorka Blažević, Editor-in-Chief of Tris

Vedran Gvožđak, Editor-in-Chief of KAportal

Goran Gazdek, Editor-in-Chief of Virovitica.net

Šarčević case – The right to life and to freedom of expression have no alternative

BHJA

09/03/2024

Press release from a section of the membership of the P.E.N. Center of Bosnia and Herzegovina

We, the undersigned members of the PEN Center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, unconditionally condemn the attacks on Franja Šarčević, assistant professor at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics in Sarajevo and editor of the Prometej.ba portal. In the attacks on him, through the media and social networks, and even by the holders of electoral positions, hatred, persecution and physical confrontation with Šarčević were openly invoked.

We demand that the competent authorities determine the degree and type of responsibility from the domain of criminal and misdemeanor legislation in the specific case. We ask the competent authorities to investigate and sanction all cases of violations of the law and the code of the media and the journalistic profession in the context of the position of BH Journalists Association , which requested an immediate investigation and sanctioning media in this case, which was joined by other professional journalist associations from the region, which operate within the SafeJournalists network. (https://safejournalists.net/portfolios/safejournalists-hitno-istraziti-i-sankcionirati-pretnje-udreniku-portala-prometei-u-bosni-i-hercegovini/?lang=hr).

We call on all power holders to use the position they hold and the political power they have to condemn such behavior, stop it and do everything to prevent possible new cases, and those who are directly involved in such actions to exclude themselves and stop such practice. Attack on our colleague Sarčević is not the only one nor is lonely case. It has become established as normal behavior and completely permissible. The authorities at all levels must be aware that they are responsible to the people and that they should and MUST be exposed to the criticism of public opinion. Such practices and behaviors, especially when it comes to cases where power holders commit, encourage, approve, and/or cover up such behaviors, must be stopped and sanctioned. We, the undersigned members of the PEN Center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stand behind this announcement. , signed with their first and last name.

We believe that we have every human and professional obligation to react and protect in all cases when someone’s fundamental rights are threatened, including in this one. We believe that it will not happen soon, mazbe not at all, that “a dead head will fall” so that then we will have a case on which we will be able to agree unanimously, appealing in vain post festum and post mortem for the protection of the right to life and freedom of speech and expression.

We are of the opinion that every citizen of this country has the right and obligation to criticize everything that is wrong in the country and not exclusively within their own ethno-national corpus. The practice according to which only “one’s own” can criticize “one’s own” must be stopped and must not be the cause and reason that targets are drawn on the back and nooses are put around the neck of those who peek “into another’s yard”. Sarajevo, 9.3.2024.

Ramiz Huremagić,

Stipe Odak,

Dragan Bursać,

Selma Raljević,

Mihaela Šumić,

Tanja Stupar Trifunović,

Branislav Mikulić,

Enver Kazaz,

Ivan Radeljković,

Alida Bremer,

Sanja Šoštarić,

Jasmin Duraković,

Šuhreta Šura Dumanić,

Tijana Okić,

Almin Kaplan,

Darija Žilić,

Fedor Marjanović,

Selvedin Avdić,

Nenad Rizvanović,

Danijela Majstorović,

Lana Bastašić,

Nerzuk Ćurak,

Emina Žuna,

Almir Alić,

Nidžara Ahmetašević,

Antonije Nino Žalica,

Asmir Kujović,

Lamija Begagić,

Elvedin Nezirović,

Lejla Kalamujić,

Faiz Softić,

Goran Simić.

Cource: P.E.N. Centar u BiH

PHOTO: N1 BiH

TUMM condemned the insult of journalists by the Deputy Prime Minister

TUMM

09/03/2024

PODGORICA, 09.03.2024. – The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro, as the largest organization dealing with media in Montenegro, which gathers more than 700 employees, fully supports and stands in solidarity with our colleague Danilo Ajković, a journalist from Television Vijesti, whom the Deputy Prime Minister Nik Đeljošaj attempted to discredit.

Đeljošaj’s attack on Ajković is unacceptable, unfounded in facts, and compromising for the entire Government, of which he is a vice president. The refusal to accept criticism, which led to brutal insults, not only speaks of Đeljošaj’s incompetence for the important public function he holds but also represents an overt attempt at censorship, which is common in the media and difficult for journalists to deal with. Anyone who knows anything about the media and journalism as a profession would refrain from any commentary in Đeljošaj’s position because it is the duty of politicians to create an environment that is encouraging for journalists and strengthens their position. Declaratively, Montenegrin politicians advocate for such an environment, especially when addressing Brussels, but it turns out only until their pride is hurt.

Due to all of the above, we say to Mr. Đeljošaj and all his like-minded individuals in public positions that we will not stand silently and wait for more insults and intimidation, but we will find a way to protect all our members and the profession as a whole.

Furthermore, we remind that employees in the media and the media themselves have been targets of various attacks 72 times in the past three years alone, which speaks volumes about the working conditions in the media.

Coalition for Media Freedom: The Commissioner Should Learn Role of Media in Democratic Society

IJAS

08/03/2024

The Coalition for Media Freedom is concerned about the fact that, during the inspection, regarding the actions of Belgrade Police Chief Veselin Milic at the press conference on May 3, 2023, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Data Protection determined that there was no omission by the Belgrade Police Chief, but that the media that reported on the conference were to blame for the disclosure of information about minors. In this way, the institution of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Data Protection showed a deep misunderstanding of the journalistic profession as well as the role of the media in a democratic society.

We remind the public that journalists did not come in an illegal way to the list of children who are underage K.K. wanted to kill, but the list was made available to the public precisely by the chief of the Belgrade police, who showed the list at a press conference. The position of the Commissioner, according to which the law was violated by journalists and the media reporting from the press conference, is not only contrary to the basic postulates of freedom of expression, but also contrary to the basic rules of logic.

We ask the Commissioner how it is possible that the one who made the information available to the public is not responsible, but that the one responsible is the one who conveyed the information, and that information was made available to the public by the Belgrade police chief personally at a press conference? Why did information and lists appear at the press conference that journalists should not convey?

We invite the Commissioner, if he has not already done so to the journalists of BIRN, to answer the public what he has learned so far during the inspection, whether it can really be concluded from the minutes of the inspection carried out so far that the law was violated by the media that reported on it from the press conference, and not the one who showed the list and thus made it available to the public and to use his own powers to end the inspection, regardless of the internal control procedure, because we believe that the Commissioner has enough information to make a decision whether in the specific case, the law was broken or not.

The Coalition for Media Freedom: the Association of Media, the Association of Online Media (AOM), the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Local Press”, the Slavko Curuvija Foundation and Branch Trade Union of Culture, Arts and Media ‘Nezavisnost’

IWD: Safeguarding women journalists in the digital age

IJAS

08/03/2024

ruka-girl-power-qkx35fe5k1x5eus2r12xs8a8k9q2ds12unt57abzp8 — photo: Canva

On International Women’s Day, MFRR coalition partners publish a critical examination of attacks against women journalists in the European Union and candidate countries

To mark International Women’s Day, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) presents an analysis of the troubling attacks against women journalists, in European Union member states and candidate countries. In 2023, female journalists faced a disproportionate number of verbal attacks, especially online. The MFRR partners call for collaborative efforts to protect their rights and foster a society free from discrimination.

On International Women’s Day, the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) emphasise the need to improve gender equality and overcome persistent challenges facing women in journalism. In particular, they highlight the alarming attacks against women journalists in the European Union member states and candidate countries in 2023. Data from the Mapping Media Freedom initiative reveals 281 recorded incidents of attacks against women journalists in this region during the past year.

Smear campaigns and online threats

Women journalists more commonly face verbal attacks than their male counterparts, according to MFRR data. Verbal attacks constituted 31.0% of recorded incidents involving male journalists, while for female journalists this figure was 42.7%.

Notably, smear campaigns have become significant tools aimed at silencing and discrediting women journalists, particularly when reporting on polarising topics during electoral periods. These campaigns create fertile ground for disinformation to spread unchecked.

The digital landscape has amplified patterns of harassment against women journalists during their professional activities. Online attacks, constituting 24.6% of all incidents against women journalists, are particularly alarming, far surpassing those against male journalists (12.5%). This includes mainly online harassment, such as intimidation, discredit, insult, harassment, sexual harassment, and bullying.

These targeted attacks extend beyond verbal assaults and include direct threats to the safety of journalists and their families, doxxing, and attacks taking on sexualized tones, such as rape threats. In 2023, women journalists faced at least 20 rape or death threats, of which 60% happened online. ARTICLE19 Europe has developed a series of briefings analysing the freedom of expression implications of online threats against women journalists and assessing investigations into these cases (including a focus briefing on investigations of online abuse against women journalists Spain).

The surge in online attacks aims to intimidate, silence, and stigmatise women journalists, potentially limiting their participation in public spaces. Understanding online abuse is imperative, as it directly impacts the ability of women journalists to fully exercise their right to free expression.

Physical assaults and legal incidents

Attacks in public spaces and during protests account for 18.9% and 15.3%, respectively, of the incidents documented involving women journalists. Physical assaults, though less frequent than for male journalists, still constitute 23.5% of incidents for women journalists, resulting in injuries in 17 cases. Legal incidents, including arrests, detentions, imprisonments, criminal charges, civil lawsuits, or defamation, are also significant concerns, constituting 25.6% of all incidents against women.

Through its Safety4Journalists platform, the European Federation of Journalists highlights how media workers have traditionally been considered at risk because of the nature of their work, while in reality, there is both a lack of awareness of safety issues and of protective measures in place for them. In 2023, EFJ created a Gender and Diversity Expert Group, for which the safety of female journalists emerged as one of the key work topics.

Through MFRR Article 19 Europe and the International Press Institute will organise a series of roundtables on investigating cases of online harassment against women journalists in the Western Balkans, drawing on ARTICLE 19’S policy briefs on the topic as well as on IPI’s training resources for newsrooms on how to support women colleagues, developed during its Ontheline campaign.

Across the continent: highlighting attacks on female journalists in Europe

The challenges faced by women journalists in 2023 extend beyond borders, with prominent cases illustrating the severity of gender-based threats:

In Romania, investigative journalist Emilia Șercan faced a renewed smear campaign after reporting on plagiarism by the Home Affairs Minister.
In Finland, right-wing MPs also launched a severe online smear campaign against Iltalehti journalist Ida Erämaa for her critical reporting.
Serbian journalist Bojana Pavlovic faced harassment and the forced removal of her phone. The First Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade then refused to bring criminal charges, having considered the journalist had not been in danger.
Italian freelance journalist Rossella Puccio faced violent attacks, including her family car being set on fire, underlining the ongoing danger faced by journalists reporting on human rights and social issues, such as migration, poverty, and women’s conditions.
Marilena Natale, another journalist reporting on the Italian mafia and for this reason living under armed guard since 2017, received new death threats from the Casalesi clan.
Montenegrin journalist Jelena Jovanović of newspaper Vijesti has also lived under police protection for over two years due to her investigations into organised crime.

The cases keep multiplying in 2024. Verica Marinčić, also from Serbia, was forcibly removed from the Indjija municipality building while reporting on a protest. Meanwhile, Ola Xama, an investigative journalist in Albania, continues to be the subject of an intensified smear campaign, including slut-shaming, the exposure of her private address, and attacks on her family members.

Despite these challenges and risks, these and many more resilient women journalists remain committed to their crucial work of informing the public.

Women journalists’ safety: a collective commitment

On this International Women’s Day, the MFRR coalition calls for a collective commitment from governments, media organisations, and civil society to address root causes and ensure a safe environment for women in journalism. While advocating for laws safeguarding women journalists’ rights and specific actions against gender-based online harassment, the coalition also urges media companies to prioritise the safety of female staff, fostering harassment-free environments and providing comprehensive support in the event of an attack. This collective commitment aims to advance gender equality, stand in solidarity with women journalists facing threats, and create a society free from harassment and discrimination.

Signed

ARTICLE 19 Europe
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
International Press Institute (IPI)
OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)

Source: EFJ

AJK is concerned regarding the summons for a criminal offense against journalist Lirim Mehmetaj

AJK

06/03/2024

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo has received with concern a statement made by journalist Lirim Mehmetaj of the Albanian Post regarding the summons issued to him as a defendant by the Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Pristina.

In the summons for presence on March 7, Mehmetaj is invited as a defendant for the criminal offense of “inciting discord and impatience” under Article 141 of the Penal Code.

While AJK is waiting for official information, such a call to a journalist is an alarm for a democratic society, as Kosovo claims to be.

AJK will be requesting official information and closely monitoring the unprecedented development of the justice system in Kosovo on Thursday.

Report says Serbian media at risk of political control

IJAS

05/03/2024

A report on the most influential media and media companies in Serbia showed that the risk of state control is high.

A presentation of the report on 43 media outlets and their owners was told that the trend of media outlets rallying around the SBB and Telekom Serbia cable services providers is more evident than 5 years ago. The report said that those two providers dominate the market and are important players in terms of media content production and distribution.

A lot of indicators showed that political control over the media is high. According to the report, that risk is highest for TV outlets and less so for print media and radio stations.

Global Media Registry official Nafisa Hasanova told the presentation that this was the second report drawn up for Serbia with the BIRN network following the report for 2017. She said that the risk of state control over the media is relatively high in Serbia.

Source: N1

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