PODGORICA, 18.03.2020. – Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG) is aware of the seriousness of the situation and the responsible attitude of the competent state institutions, but also concerned about the health of our colleagues.

Therefore, Main board of SMCG urges the Public Health Institute to pay attention to employees in the media who cannot work from home.

As we know, other than basic disinfectants and limited numbers of employees coming to work in some newsrooms, no other preventive and protective measures have been taken.

Please have in mind, that in the current situation, beside healthcare professionals and police officers, journalists, photojournalists and cameramen are the most exposed to the infection. Also, please note that the necessary protective equipment cannot be procured without the support of the Institute of Public Health and the National Coordination Body for Infectious Diseases. Therefore, we ask that the basic protective equipment should be available to the media and its employees. We also request of the The Public Health Institute to provide written recommendations on behaviors, rules and obligations when reporting from the outside, all with the aim of reducing the possibility of spreading the infection.

When it comes to media outlets, we urge that people whose physical presence is not necessary in newsrooms, to be allowed to work from home, that to held editorial meetings online, to provide disinfection of premises and workspaces, and to obtain disinfectants of hands and other measures for prevention.

SKOPJE, 18.03.2020 – The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (SEMM), in the interest of better informed public and safer journalists and media workers while carrying out their professional duties, prepared a publication entitled: “Guidelines for safe and professional reporting on coronavirus (COVID-19)”.

The publication, in the first part, offers guidance on ethical, professional and responsible reporting on coronavirus in a situation of global pandemic. In that context, recommendations have been for journalists to use relevant sources of information, avoid sensationalism, use appropriate vocabulary, use visualization carefully, and more.

The second part of the publication refers to protection and self-protection of journalists and media workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. This section discusses standard measures of precaution, as well as recommendations for reporting of journalists and media workers from the field, as well as guidelines for editorial work and guest appearances on TV shows.

Authors of this publication are the Executive Director of the Council of Media Ethics, Dr. Marina Tuneva and Ognen Janeski, journalist and alumni researcher at the UN Department of Public Information.

SARAJEVO, 17.03.2020. – The House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament adopted the initiative of Damir Arnaut to apply higher standards for accepting or dismissing defamation claims before domestic courts, if filed by politicians against journalists and editors, or media owners.

At the 7th session of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH last week, lawmakers supported the initiative of MPs Arnaut on amendments to the Law on Defamation to incorporate “different standards of admissibility, tolerance and proof of defamation” when it comes to lawsuits of public personalities in relation to private persons, in accordance with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Arnaut sent this initiative at the end of August last year, requesting the entities’ and Brcko District BiH authorities to prepare and adopt amendments to the Law on Defamation.

In an explanation of the initiative Arnaut stated that in democratic countries, “it is a common practice that public figures and politicians and public officials in particular, are subject to a higher standard of defamation claims than private individuals, which is the practice of the European Court of Human Rights since 1986”. Although the existing entity and Brcko District laws require that they be interpreted in a manner that ensures the principle of freedom of expression, or in accordance with the European Convention, Arnaut states that “these general provisions are not sufficient because domestic courts rarely and sporadically apply the case law of the European Court”. He also recalls that the United States Supreme Court in 1964 in “New York Times v. Sullivan” established the standard that when persons in public office are suing for defamation, they should prove not only that the information published is untrue and harmful, but also that the journalist acted with “real malice”, that is, he knew the information to be false or recklessly ignored the truth.

“A different approach is justified given that public figures, and political officials in particular, are consciously exposed to the public with all the advantages and disadvantages it carries, and can reasonably expect an increased level of interest in their work, decisions, statements and attitudes. Public figures have much easier access to the media for the purpose of defending themselves against criticism than is the case with private individuals, and may seek protection of their reputation through such public channels, not exclusively through judicial means. Finally, defamation lawsuits by public figures represent the largest part of such lawsuits in Bosnia and Herzegovina and carry a real financial pressure on the media outlets, which significantly discourages the media from reporting critically on issues of public interest and constituting unacceptable restrictions on freedom of expression”, Arnaut said.

The BH Journalists Association welcomed this initiative and recalled that politicians were the ones who have filed the largest number of lawsuits for defamation against journalists and the media outlets in the last 17 years since defamation laws were applied in BiH. At present, more than 170 defamation cases are active, which is a very large number compared to other countries in the region and Europe. The media community in BiH has often experienced the lawsuits of politicians, ie government officials, not only as a pressure on freedom of expression, but also as a powerful means of economic exhaustion of the media, especially in cases where politicians file dozens of lawsuits against one media outlet. BH Journalists expect that, following the adoption of Damir Arnaut’s initiative in the BiH PA, procedures for changes to defamation legislation in the entity parliaments and in the Brcko District will be swiftly instituted.

The problem of filing a large number of libel lawsuits against BiH media was also highlighted in a recent US State Department report on the state of human rights in the world, citing data from the Free Media Help Line (FHML), a special free legal aid service for journalists operating within the BH Journalists Association.

According to a State Department report, the Free Media Help Line data shows that courts in BiH often do not differentiate between different media genres, such as news and commentary, and that long court proceedings financially drain journalists and media outlets.

“Years of misapplication of the law have put direct pressure on journalists and the media in BiH, which has threatened the right to freedom of expression”, the State Department report said.

PODGORICA, 17.03.2020. – The Government of Montenegro has introduced new measures to protect the health of journalists  regarding the corona virus pandemic.

Due to the threat of the spread of corona virus, and the obligation of the media to abide by rules that imply as minimized social contact as possible, and the obligation to ensure transparency to the fullest extent possible, Government have laid down procedures and rules to satisfy all of the above.

“1. Press conferences regarding all aspects of the prevention of the spread of corona virus and the activities of governmental bodies in this regard shall be held at the amphitheater of the Institute of Public Health.

2. The Public Service Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) has installed and tested equipment for direct transmission of all events at the Institute.

3. The Broadcasting Center allowed all radio and television stations to receive RTCG TV signals. Commercial broadcasters with national coverage tried out the system and it turned out that the was functional. Other televisions may receive the signal in same a way as signal of the session of the Parliament of Montenegro.

4. The Government’s Public Relations Service, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration, will set up a platform through which journalists will be able to ask questions in real time or during press conferences – as if they were on site.

5. The Public Relations Service of the Government of Montenegro and the Public Health Institute are estimated to broadcast some events live via social networks and platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, etc.

6. In addition to the above, the Public Relations Service of the Government of Montenegro will record events and make photographs and videos available to the media.

7. The PR team that coordinates the Government’s communications will strive to meet to the greatest extent the demands of the media for guest appearances and interviews, but we ask for an understanding of the situation which is not common”, the Government said.

They stated that they would inform the media in the shortest possible time about all the technical aspects of the above.

SARAJEVO, 17.03.2020. – The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the measures being taken to ensure the safety of journalists during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the EFJ condemns the attitude of some employers in the sector who are forcing their journalists to work from the newsroom:

-In the current situation, journalists’ health and safety is our first priority. We call on all media employers to apply the principles of prevention, implementing all appropriate measures to protect the health of journalists in the workplace.

The EFJ has learned from its affiliates that some employers in the sector are refusing to allow journalists to telework. The EFJ strongly condemns this irresponsible attitude.

“It is unacceptable that some publishers refuse to allow journalists to telework. Today’s telematics tools allow perfect remote execution of journalistic tasks,” said the EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez. “Forcing journalists to gather daily in the newsroom increases the risk of contagion for the entire population. This is totally irresponsible!”

The EFJ joins the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to call on the European Commissiona and EU Member States to put in place emergency measures such as relaxing the fiscal rules under the Stability and Growth Pact and state-aid rules, while adopting subsequent legislation to release EU funding immediately to help those worst affected. This must include financial support to workers who are quarantined, suspended from their jobs or made redundant because of COVID-19. Particular attention must be paid to precarious and non-standard workers (including freelance journalists), who are often excluded from the same rights and protections as other workers. They also call on no-EU countries to implement similar measures.

PODGORICA, 16.03.2020. – Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic has met with representatives of almost all media in recent weeks to discuss the current situation on the media scene and try to overcome divisions.

This was a rare opportunity to unite the polarized media scene in Montenegro, at least formally, so Markovic spoke with representatives of Radio Television of Montenegro, “Pobjeda”, “Dnevne Novine”, but also with the “Vijesti” and “Dan” at the same table. Admittedly, not at the same time.

The meetings were organized within the framework of the Alliance for Europe initiative, which was launched with the aim of overcoming divisions and finding a common denominator in the interests of citizens and their European perspective.

After the meetings, the Government made announcements, explaining that it was talked about improving the media scene and media legislation.

The Prime Minister expressed his readiness to reconsider some solutions in media laws after talking to the media.

“It would be a good idea to reach an agreement with the Montenegrin media community”, Markovic said.

Thus, at the meeting with Deputy Editor-in-Chief of “Dan”, Nikola Markovic, it was stated that “Government and the media should work together to upgrade the media legislation, strengthen the Montenegrin media scene and its sustainability and professionalism as a need of the Montenegrin society.”

The message of conversations with RTCG leaders is that “public service broadcasters should not compete with the commercial media but provide a quality program that is standard and necessary in accordance with the public interest.”

“Our goal in this dialogue with the media is to help them be sustainable, regardless of their editorial policies. We recognize the particular temptation that the media is facing today“, Markovic said at meetings with Pobjeda CEO and editor-in-chief Drasko Djuranovic and TV Prva CG directors Sonja Drobac and Nova TV Ivana Sebek.

At one of the meetings, it was also stated that “we are facing an unprecedented amount of fake news directed against the state lately, which requires coordination of state authorities and the media”.

Fake news stories that have appeared in the media recently have resulted in the arrests of three journalists for allegedly causing panic and disorder.

Skopje, 13.03.2020 – On March 11, 2020, the State Department published the 2019 Human Rights Report on North Macedonia. The report says that the country has made progress in respecting media freedom and freedom of expression. However, the State Department notes that there are still problems that have arisen in recent years, such as violence and intimidation of journalists.

The report notes almost all serious attacks on journalists in the last two years and highlights the problem of impunity for violence against journalists, something that AJM has often alarmed in the public. A part of the report also quotes AJM President Mladen Chadikovski’s speech at the Global Press Freedom Conference in London, where he said that impunity for attacks on journalists remains a major issue, as well as violations of freedom of expression. “According to the Association of Journalists, the Ministry of Interior has completed investigations into all 12 cases of attacks on journalists since 2017, but no further action has been taken on them except in one case,” is quoted in the report.

The reaction of the journalists’ associations (AJM, SSNM and CMEM) in July 2018, which opposed the paid political advertising during the election campaigns to be financed with public money it’s also noted in the report and it says that the Government has not taken any measures since then to address this issue.

Particular attention in this year’s report is paid to the threats, labeling and intimidation of journalists by politicians. In this context, quotes from the reactions of AJM and senior European Commission officials suggesting that this could lead to self-censorship are mentioned, calling on the authorities to show zero tolerance for attacks and threats against journalists.

This year again, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia remains a credible partner of the US State Department in the area of media and freedom of expression. The report mentions AJM as a reference organization eight times.