PODGORICA, 09.11.2019. – In the world of employment, journalism is a hybrid profession but also a craft. A blend of practice and theory. Morality and creativity. The combination of psychology, literature, sociology, political science and many other sciences. That is why a journalist should be a person who strives for objectivity, honesty and the one who is seeking for truth.

When young journalists write a story, they are aware that they have no one behind them. Not to protect them nor to encourage them.

Tina Popovic, journalist of “Vijesti” awarded for investigative journalism, over the years, has profiled herself as a journalist for the issues of education and science.

“Complying the Media Law and the Code of Ethics does not prevent civil litigation against the media, threats and attempts to discredit journalists”, Tina said. Why would any young person wanted to report in the public interest if he/she is aware that he/she might be the target of different social categories, she asked.

“For young people, attacks on journalists, both direct and indirect, and threats and attempts to discredit them and physical violence, are certainly not a motivation to educate themselves in this profession, and much less to fight for free speech”, Tina said. “The question is also how many young people who have a degree of journalism really go on to pursue the profession”, she said.

Tina believes that being a journalist working in the public interest means facing the pressures that come from different sides.

“Young journalists need to know that readers’ trust is built over the years, and it is very easy to shake it”, Tina said, adding that trust is built by making sure facts are presented at all times for the benefit of citizens, no matter how small the story seem at the moment.

Tina says there are always those who will prevent the public from hearing the story. Either they do not respond to press questions or claim that they do not respond to questions of “sensationalist” and “yellow press”. Then they try to discredit the reporter by saying he has double standards. Of course, if the epilogue is positive for the population that has had a problem, those who wanted to prevent the journalist from publishing the story will find a way to take over merit just for themselves.

Unfortunately, this is only part of the daily problems that journalists face. Therefore, it is not surprising that most young people seek employment opportunities in the state administration, as evidenced by the fact that as many as 42 percent of young people prefer employment in the public sector. The information is published in “The Youth Study Montenegro 2018/19″ by the Center for Civic Education (CCE). Being a journalist means reporting in the public interest, and a mitigating circumstance for their safety is when doing so from the public sector.

When we speak about young journalists, second-year journalism student Zeljka Zvicer enrolled the journalism triggered by the utopian idea that the media, and therefore journalists, are the drivers of social change, guardians of truth and democracy, which is so much advocated.

Student of Postgraduate studies of journalism Jovana Damjanovic said enrolling in the journalism department was her way of showing “to have no hair on my tongue” and that “the truth will be the most important thing”. Still, through her undergraduate studies, Jovana gained experience through her journalistic practice.

“I realized that it was better to have hair on my tongue and take care of what I was saying, and that the truth would very often have to wait”, Jovana said.

She does not consider students to be protected, nor those who work in the profession.

“We do not always have to talk about threats, though they happen. We are witnessing a few cases only in our country. We can simply deal with the fact that we depend on different people – without a source there is no story and without a story there is no money”, Jovana said.

Sara Kurgas, student of journalism

The text was created within the project “Monitoring for free media” implemented by the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro within the framework of a major project “Judicial Reform: Upgrading CSO’s capacities to contribute to the integrity of judiciary” financed by the European Union, and implemented by the Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMi) in partnership with the NGO Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM) and the Network for the Affirmation of European Integration Processes (MAEIP)

BELGRADE, 08.11.2019. – The Independent Association of Serbia’s Journalists (NUNS) condemned on Thursday the latest attempt of intimidation of N1 TV and demanded from the country’s police and prosecutors to finally find out who ordered the frequent public expressions of hatred of that media, the Beta news agency reported.

NUNS added that the top state officials had failed to not only condemn but to stop the repeated intimidation of N1’s and a few other independent media’s journalists.

It added that “on the contrary, using discriminatory and offensive statements and speculations, the highest officials and pro-regime tabloids directly create a hostile environment for critical, unbiased and objective journalism.”

“It is beyond comprehension that the police cannot identify the people who distribute leaflets with threatening messages to N1once a month. If that hate campaign continues it will boost the impression that the intimidation and disqualification of objective and unbiased media which inform people in Serbia about the most relevant topic, suits the current regime,” NUNS said in a statement.

NUNS remained the public that on Wednesday night, while N1 was airing the interview with the most likely Kosovo’s new Prime Minister Albin Kurti, unknown perpetrators again threw leaflets across the fence of the building housing N1 with photos of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and N1 Programme Director Jugoslav Cosic with a message reading “there is some link.”

Less than a month ago, a couple of masked men threw leaflets reading “The Republic of Serbia – Goodbye, N1 – Welcome to Luxembourg.

A few days before that, close to the N1 house entrance, an improvised rump was posted with “You’re leaving the Republic of Serbia, Welcome to Luxembourg.”

All those examples lead to a logical conclusion that it is an organised act aiming at intimidating and frightening the journalists and editors to adjust N1 TV editorial policy to the needs and wishes of President Aleksandar Vucic’ regime, NUNS’ statement says.

Pristina, 07. 11. 2019 – AJK is concerned with the physical assault on Klan Kosova journalist Mejreme Gashi by some people inside a casino in Karaçevo, a  village of Kamenica.

The Klan Kosova team was reporting about the operation of several casinos in the mentioned place, when persons working in a casino were obstructed by the presence of the media and verbally attacked and then physically assaulted the journalist.

“I and my colleague Rilind were attacked verbally with the most severe words, they insulted us with banal words. Then one of them hit me on the head. As if that were not enough, he still continued his verbal attack on the entire Klan Kosova team until he was accompanied by other people saying us “Get out of here”, “Don’t photograph our cars”- said Gashi in an interview on the medium she works.

This is the second time within a week that the same team has been prevented while doing their job, besides the one in Zabar, Mitrovica, to which the AJK has reacted.

AJK invites the police and prosecution to treat the case with priority and bring the perpetrators to justice. Attacks on journalists recently have raised a concern number, making journalism one of the most difficult profession to work in Kosovo. For these and other reasons, law enforcement should act promptly to allow journalists to work without disturbance.

At the same time, the AJK encourages journalists not to succumb to such threats and to work diligently to inform the public.

BELGRADE, 07.11.2019. – Unidentified men threw leaflets into the grounds of N1 TV on Wednesday evening while the Pressing interview with Vetevendosje leader and most likely future Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was being aired.

Pictures of Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and N1 Program Director Jugoslav Cosic were printed on the leaflets above the caption – some secret connection. The police were called to investigate the incident.

Similar incidents have taken place in the recent past when leaflets reading Republic of Serbia Goodbye – N1 Welcome to Luxembourg were thrown over the fence around the N1 station grounds and when imitation passports inscribed Republic of N1 were handed out at a protest gathering. N1’s parent company is registered in Luxembourg.

Earlier in the day, pro-government tabloids reported on the announced Pressing interview with Albin Kurti under headlines saying – Huge Scandal Albin Kurti Comes to N1 falsely claiming that the Vetevendosje leader would be in Belgrade even though the show was recorded in Pristina.

VRANJE, 07.11.2019. – O salvama verbalnih napada na Jelenu Stojković posle izveštavanja o aferi u Vranju, obavešteno i Više tužilaštvo. Posebno sam brinula da ni posredno ne ukažem na identitet maloletnika, kaže naša novinarka.

Policija je ozbiljno shvatila moju prijavu. Bili su brzi i profesionalni – kaže novinarka „Večernjih novosti“ iz Vranja Jelena Stojković, govoreći o pretnjama kojima je bila izložena, uključujući i najozbiljnije – pretnje smrću.

Prema rečima naše novinarke, u policijskoj stanici sastavljen je izveštaj o pretnjama, koji je prosleđen i tužilaštvu. Policija je odmah reagovala i pod pojačani nadzor stavila kuću u kojoj živi sa porodicom.

Povod za pretnje našoj novinarki jesu njeni tekstovi o skandalu u čijem je središtu fotografija obnažene učenice šestog razreda OŠ “Radoje Domanović”, koja se već nedeljama deli među vranjskim osnovcima. Ova afera, na inicijativu škole, čeka svoj epilog u nadležnim ustanovama, a zahvaljujući tekstovima naše novinarke za nju je saznala i šira javnost.

Jeleni Stojković u utorak uveče javila se žena, koja se predstavila kao majka devojčice koja je na spornoj fotografiji. Uputila joj je desetine najstrašnijih pretnji. “Ubiću te”, “Ne znaš s kim imaš posla”, “Znam gde živiš i koga imaš”. Uz salve psovki i uvreda, osoba je pojačala verbalni napad izgovarajući gotovo monstruozne rečenice poput “Sačekaću te kada vodiš dete u vrtić i ubiću te”.

– U utorak uveče, za dva časa, imala sam više od 30 njenih poziva. Odgovorila sam na dva i sadržaj je bio gotovo identičan – psovke i okrutne pretnje – kaže Jelena Stojković. – Imam razumevanja za njenu poziciju i pokušala sam racionalno da razgovaram, ali to je bilo nemoguće. Odmah sam otišla u policiju i prijavila slučaj.

Delikatna afera rođena u vranjskoj školi “Radoje Domanović”, koju je opisala na stranicama “Novosti”, Jeleni Stojković bila je poznata više nedelja pre nego što je počela da piše o njoj. Bila je svesna delikatnosti slučaja i ranjivosti dece koja su njeni akteri. Sačekala je, kako naglašava, da prvo državne institucije urade svoj posao.

– I sama sam roditelj i duboko sam svesna svih nijansi ovog slučaja. Posebno sam brinula da ni posredno ne ukažem na identitet maloletnika, niti da im, ionako nezahvalnu poziciju, otežam – objašnjava Stojkovićeva.

Tužilaštvo obavešteno o ovom slučaju

Pretnje našoj novinarki u sredu je oštro osudilo Udruženje novinara Srbije (UNS), koje traži da tužilaštvo pokrene postupak zbog ugrožavanja njene sigurnosti. UNS podseća da je za to delo propisana kazna od šest meseci do pet godina zatvora.

ISPOŠTOVANA PROCEDURA

AFERA zbog koje je prećeno našoj novinarki Jeleni Stojković tiče se deljenja fotografije na kojoj je uslikana obnažena učenica. Devojčica je spornu sliku poslala godinu dana starijem dečaku sa kojim je navodno bila u emotivnoj vezi. Posle raskida on je sliku prosledio svojim drugarima, a vranjski osnovci su je brzo razdelili mobilnim telefonima. Škola je postupila u skladu sa svim procedurama, a na ovom slučaju radi vranjsko tužilaštvo, kao i stručnjaci Centra za socijalni rad.

Pristina, 06.11.2019 – Association of Journalists of Kosovo expresses deep concern over the threat on the Klan Kosova TV team by a family member of Sead Bejta, imam of Zabari mosque.

“If only one sequence is published for this case, only one of us will live,” is the threat toward Klan Kosova team while they were reporting about a story where the protagonists were imam Sead Bejta and an other woman S.B.

Threatening the life of two media workers is an unacceptable act that infringes on media freedom.

The AJK invites Kosovo Police and the State Prosecutor’s Office, to immediately take the necessary measures against the perpetrator in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo.

AJK continuously emphasizes the need for timely response of state bodies in cases of threats to journalists, in order to provide a safe environment for practicing the profession, without fear of intimidation!

By: Nermina Šunj-Kušljugić

Sarajevo, 06.11.2019. – From the perspective of the freedom degree in media field (freedom that incurred based on experiences of our colleagues, including personal experience) this could turn out to be a soft aphorism such as: censure in media filed almost does not exist, we successfully oppose it by implying auto censure. This almost contain certain amount of truth, because looking from the context in which owners/entrepreneurs, editors and journalists, arbitrarily resort to auto censure thus attempting to make “peace”’ with their financiers or interest based centers to which they eventually rely, there is actually no need for censure at all.

“Undesired” collocutors

Auto censure may also be seen through the case of certain media house whose name I shall not mention; instead I shall refer to auto censure experience accordingly.

I used to write down a serial of articles (texts) about Slovenian factory in BiH, while I was engaged in private media house. The owner of this factory had plans to dislocate the factory outside Bosnia and Herzegovina. Factory manager, a local resourceful person fought hard to keep the factory in our country, since the removal of the factory would shut down the only source of income for local people thus jeopardizing their existence.

Along with other things I had to do whilst working for this particular media house, I contacted factory manager on daily basis. I assumed that he also was “politically biased”, though, at the time, I was not concerned about that because I considered him as very important collocutor and person who could provide me with new and most recent information.

Writing of such stories was one of the most positive side of journalism and unlike political issues and affairs, social issues somehow liberated me from eventual pressure and possible outer control, whether imposed by the editing office or imposed by political factors. However, everything was not “cheese and apples” as it initially seemed.

One morning, after having coffee at the briefing session, the rumor amongst all staff had it that we (the owner/entrepreneur) were no longer in good relationship with certain political party. I thought this was the way it had to be, because I had previously been working for private media house, but there were no explicit demands for auto censure that I was listening about from my colleagues. I was following the situation in the factory, but soon I was called in and told that our owner was no longer in good relationship with factory manager from certain political party to whom I had been speaking almost on daily basis and that I should quit and stop contacting him immediately.

Despite all of that, I was still following the story about this factory. I decided not to quote factory manager nor to mention his name in my articles (texts) and I thought that I had somehow managed to find the solution and “overcome” imposed limits. However, one morning while struggling to find my article in the magazine, I only discovered that it was posted somewhere on the bottom corner. Apart from that, my text was visibly edited and they accordingly posted few lines only, without any photo that I had previously prepared and with very poor text font, so at the end, my article turned out to be a “non-attractive” marginalized news.

In private media house there are mainly two ways to react and respond to limitations regarding your selection and choice of issues, including collocutors that you decide to write about or to talk with. These are two simple ways: you can either obey the media house rules or leave.

Since the case I outlined above comes from private media house, the eventual conclusion of readers claiming that auto censure exists only within private media house could not be considered as true.

You must listen and hark three times what your editor has to say

I would even dare to say that the core of censure and pressure on journalists is the fact that they should think three times before they decide to write anything in public media, mostly in media houses that are financed from the public budget sources where their professional, but also, labor and legal status depends directly on governing and parliamentary majority that controls the budget used to finance their media house. In other words, journalists’ work depends on politics that create their views spread amongst “their own people” regarding media they finance through the payment system required for RTV tax fees.

The differences in positions of journalist facing clear or hidden limits may exist in formal sphere, depending on the extent of the protection illustrated through their work contracts and also depending on whether they, in case of labor dispute with their employer (the situation that only the brave ones decide to initiate) the journalist shall not be the victim of eventual payback or revenge imposed by their employer (owner or entrepreneur), without disciplinary procedure. Everything else is a question of self – respect of an individual.

This is why it would not be incorrect to discover the causes that result in the emerging of auto – censure only in terms of the social status of a journalist, because the battle with the auto – censure is, above anything else, the question of respecting and obeying professional journalism. However, due to entire context as far as media houses and their operations are concerned, it would also be incorrect to put a burden of the battle of limitations in writing onto journalists’ shoulders, because “lowering journalists ‘integrity” was followed by (and in fact it is still under way) a brutal campaign imposed by political and interest – based powerful centers who aimed to control financing sources directed to media houses or limit the finances so they could make and force media houses to become subordinate to political powerful centers.

Apart from fear that journalists may get sacked and lose their jobs, fear for the existence of their own family, including themselves, kids, sick persons and family members and because of legal environment where quietly persons end up not being punished for their crimes, including murderers, assaulters or attackers, Journalists chose to down and remain silent in terms of self – imposed limits.

Apart from the battle for dignified and, to some extent, apolitical environment required for work, through passing new set of laws, strengthening and reinforcing syndicate (union) or showing solidarity with journalists colleagues (workmates), another front – line emerges where journalists are left to dissipate their energy. A “competition” turned up and it washed away all professional principles. These included internet web sites with unknown owners or entrepreneurs that were mainly motivated by profit. Frankly, we have already known that media does represent a profitable income source and the information is valuable merchandise. Therefore, the work conducted by the merchandise manufacturer has its own value and it is only a matter of to what extent we are aware of the value of our own role in this process.

What if we liberate ourselves from the “victimized” role?

It would be really useful to start with signal reading based on our own experience, including frequent attempts of political and financial media enslaving. These attempts should indicate that, despite constant imposing of picture that media has a diminished role, there are reasons why media is important and there are some that try to own them or take control of them.

Additionally, it would be wise to begin with reading between the lines that we write, for instance, we write stories about employers that have been on the edge of sustaining with their businesses, because the number of tradesmen and craftsmen is decreasing on daily basis due to the fact that most of them have decided to leave this country and look for work abroad, since they get much better salaries abroad and their work is more respected and appreciated. We journalists, make the news based on the employers’ decision who should, in order to keep their employees in their companies thus being able to sustain and proceed with their businesses, finally realize (employers) that their workers (employees) must get paid adequately and must be provided with all legal rights they are entitled to have.

According to the above illustrated news that we have made, we realize that regardless whether one shares information for a living, builds houses, all trades comprehend the same principle: employers may be excellent managers, they may have countless contracts for various business, and however none of these can be implemented if managers have no employees to execute them.

(The author is a longtime journalist and an editor of Megafon.ba; this article was published in E-journalist bulletin no.69)