Sarajevo, 23.07.2019. – The Steering Committee of BH Journalists’ Association (BHJA) strongly condemns violations of the rights of journalists and other media employees at RTV Zenica, systematically repeated for months, that are taking on forms of constant mobbing and the unlawful restriction of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

Despite the numerous warnings and demands of the Workers Union of RTV Zenica to provide free and dignified work for all employees of this media, the situation has not improved. On the contrary! Pressure and misconduct towards journalists persist daily, as well as censorship the author’s content and news with critical acclaim, and the entire program has turned into a praise and political support to the City Hall of Zenica and mayor Fuad Kasumovic.

There was no result from Free Media Help Line legal team’s effort to assist to help protect journalists and freedom of expression through individual conversations with RTV Zenica’s employees and members of management, including attending the City Council session when it was discussed about the work of this media as the last attempt by the founder to enable the public media to operate in accordance with prescribed legal provisions and international standards of public information protection in the interest of citizens.

The BHJA Steering Committee again, publicly and resolutely, demands from RTV Zenica and Zenica City Administration to stop political pressures, undemocratic and unauthorized interference in the work of this media, with full respect for editorial and journalistic independence. At the same time, the Steering Committee invites the Assembly of RTV Zenica to urgently organize session and pay due attention, responsibly and seriously, to the manner of operation of this media and the fulfillment of the informative needs of all citizens of Zenica, whose funds finance the work of RTV Zenica.

If they urgently don’t enable free and legitimate work to journalists and continue political pressures on RTV Zenica employees, BH Journalists will use all legal means and the influence of international institutions dedicated to media freedom to protect the individual rights of journalists and the professional integrity of this media – says the statement of the BHJA Steering Committee.

BEOGRAD, 23.07.2019. – Brat ministra finansija Siniše Malog Predrag Mali već pet godina vozi auto u vlasništvu firmi srpskih biznismena Ivana Bošnjaka i Stojana Vujka, otkrio je KRIK. Novinarka KRIK-a Dragana Pećo podsetila je za N1 da je predsednik Vučić još pre mesec dana najavio da će KRIK pisati o bratu Siniše Malog, što navodi na sumnju da se novinari KRIK-a prate.

Automobil marke “audi” koji već pet godina vozi Predrag Mali, najpre bio u vlasništvu firme “Milenijum tim”, Ivana Bošnjaka i Stojana Vujka, angažovane na najvrednijim državnim projektima, uključujući i “Beograd na vodi”, a zatim je preregistrovan na njihovu drugu kompaniju “KBV datakom”. Sem automobila, biznismeni su ustupili i stan u kojem je stanovala devojka Predraga Malog, piše KRIK.

Novinarka KRIK-a Dragana Pećo izjavila je u Novom danu da je objavljivanju tog teksta prethodilo višemesečno istraživanje tokom kojeg se došlo do jasnih dokaza koji ukazuju na postojanje sumnje na korupciju.

Objasnila je da je KRIK, po Zakonu o pristupu informacijama od javnog značaja, došao do policijskog zapisnika u kojem je navedeno da je policija 26. decembra 2014. zaustavila Predraga Malog dok je pod dejstvom alkohola vozio automobil “Milenijum tima”.

“Preko izvora smo pratili taj isti auto. Preregistrovan je i vodi se na kompaniju istih suvlasnika”, istakla je Pećo.

Nakon objavljivanja teksta usledio je sinhronizovani napad na KRIK u prorežimskim medijima koji su objavili da novinari KRIK-a progone nevenčanu suprugu i dete Predraga Malog.

“I ranije smo se nalazili na meti napada te vrste. Napadaju nas lažima i stvarima koji nisu tačne. Osoba na fotografijama za koju navode da ga je KRIK angažovao, nema veze sa KRIK-om. To je apsolutna laž. I druge stvari su upakovane tako da ispada da smo radili nešto što nije u redu. Sve što smo mi radili je da smo dolazili do zgrade da bismo videli Predraga Malog. Nismo pratili njegovu nevenčanu suprugu. Uvek se pridržavamo novinarskih standarda”, istakla je Pećo.

Skrenula je pažnju i na to da su tabloidi naveli da su do navodnih podataka o KRIK-u došli “iz obaveštajnih izvora”, podsetivši da je tabloid Informer ranije objavljivao podatke o uredniku KRIK-a koje je dobijao iz Bezbednosno-informativne agencije.

Pećo je podsetila i da je predsednik Srbije Aleksandar Vučić, gostujući pre mesec dana na TV Pink, rekao da, između ostalog, KRIK sprema napad na njega, pomenuvši svog brata i brata ministra Malog. Naime, Vučić je tada rekao: “Moraju da prave priče o braći – Ana Brnabić ima brata, Siniša Mali ima brata. Tako sa zapada pozovu Krik i Birn i traže da se prave priče o braći”.

“On je govorio o nekim stvarima o kojima smo razgovarali u redakciji, što navodi na sumnju da nas i dalje prate”, kazala je Pećo.

Novinarka KRIK-a primetila je i da se u tekstovima koji su objavili tabloidi navodi da Predrag Mali vozi službeni auto kompanije u kojoj je zaposlen, dok su vlasnici “Milenijum tima” u pisanim odgovorima KRIK-u naveli da nemaju nikakve veze sa bratom Siniše Malog. Upitala je šta je onda istina, ističući da je još gore ukoliko je brat ministra finansija zaposlen u firmi koja je angažovama na unosnim državnim poslovima.

Čupić: U ozbiljnoj državi se svi tokovi istražuju

PODGORICA, 22.07.2019. – The mode of communication, with the emergence of online media, has transformed itself from the traditional – linear model into interactive one – dialogue with the audience. Journalism has experienced changes at several levels, and besides the way of communication, the most obvious changes are in the way of reporting, operation and functioning of the media. The searching process, creating and distributing media content is no longer exclusively related to journalists, because now all citizens can participate in this process.

What previously was the task of the media and their employees, now implies other social actors. The new dynamics of this relationship result in new dilemmas typical for  journalism of the new era.

The growing presence of online media and the ethical dilemmas that characterize them are opening up new theoretical discussions, which raise many issues that are very consensus-less.

The contemporary dynamics of media and audience relations have caused a certain collapse of professional standards, especially in countries where online media are still insufficiently (self)regulated, such is the situation in Montenegro. Portal racing to be the first, to have exclusive information, better reach, more clicks and stronger impact, result in frequent violations of basic journalistic standards and ethical principles that should form the basis of journalism no matter for what type of media they are working.

The online media must have the same professional and ethical principles that rely on the principles of freedom of opinion and speech, impartiality and independence of the media and the content they make. These are the fundamental values ​​of journalism, profession that must be in the service of truth.

However, due to the specifics of web journalism, it is important to establish new specific rules, which would serve as guidelines for journalists in day-to-day work and to improve the level of respect for professional and ethical standards.

Examples of good practice of large world media show that the establishment of internal policies in online media newsrooms may be the most effective model for resolving the number of dilemmas. Recommendations for hov to deal with critical situations would in any case be useful for newly emerging dilemmas, specific only for new media.

Modern technology has led to the fact that the journalist as an author is present more than ever before, and therefore their behavior should not lead to a doubt in the ability of doing their work professionally and impartially. Media content is no longer limited to the topic, but through the interaction of the audience, the personality of the journalist is questioned. An example there are comments on portals and social networks, which have become an inseparable part of the text, which opens up new channels of mass communication and information distribution.

User-generated content (UGC) whose main feature is that they do not appear isolated, but exclusively with the media content that is the subject of comment, are another of the specifics about which a fierce discussion is held within the proffesion. Eternal dilemma – freedom of speech vs. hate speech, the emergence of online commentary is further problematized. Never before had the audience had any more opportunity to express their views on a topic, but no more opportunities to abuse that possibility. It is precisely because of the importance of comments, as well as due to the sharp clash of whether and in what way should be moderated, this is one of the biggest dilemmas that practitioners in journalism face.

The emerging circumstances, the specificity of the online media, and web journalism can not, however, be an excuse for disregarding the basic standards and principles. On the contrary, it is precisely this that should motivate the media to find a way to deal with them and to solve them so that the dignity of the profession is restored. It is up to the media, as well as to the journalists, to conscientiously deal with their call and strive to make their work more ethical.

Milena Bubanja Obradovic, journalist

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).

СКОПЈЕ, 19.07.2019 – Здружението на новинарите на Македонија остро го осудува односот на вработените во Министерството за образование и наука и членовите на дисциплинската комисија кон новинарите кои сакале да ја следат денешната седницата на која комисијата требаше да расправа за инспекторот Ѓорѓи Илиевски. Инаку, против Илиевски е покрената дисциплинска постапка откако обелодени информации кои фрлаат сомнеж околу незаконско унапредување во научни звања на сегашни владини функционери од редовите на ДУИ.

Присуството на новинарите и на јавноста на седници од овој тип е од исклучителна важност за обезбедување на фер и правична постапка, особено кога се работи за предмет кој е од интерес за пошироката јавност. Омаловажување и непочитување на новинарите кои се на работна задача е недопустливо во една демократска држава бидејќи новинарите се очите и гласот на јавноста.

Според новинарот Васко Маглешов кој се обидел да присуствува на седницата, на новинарите освен што не им било дозволено да присуствуваат на самата седница, им било наложено и да ја напуштат зградата. Притоа, претседателката на Комисијата тоа го направила на своја рака, без да наведе кој закон и го дозволува тоа.

Здружението на новинарите на Македонија го повикува Министерот за образование и наука, Арбер Адеми да се извини на новинарите и јавно да го осуди овој настан. Очекуваме од него, да поведе постапка против членовите на Комисијата доколку постапиле спротивно на правилниците за работа и излегле надвор од нивните овластувања.

BELGRADE, 19.07.2019. – The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) members of the Parliament continued on Friday with attacking and labelling some media and NGOs describing them as anti-state and anti-Serb organisations which led a smear campaign against their party president and head of state Aleksandar Vucic, N1 reported.

The deputies targeted N1 TV, the Danas daily, Vreme, Nedeljnik and Novi Magazin weeklies.

“That’s in fact TV only by name, it’s an agitprop of a new (former Democratic Opposition of Serbia) DOS now called Alliance for Serbia (SzS) which, and I’m speaking about N1 TV, conducts a 24-hour furious and deadly campaign against the President, Government, some deputies,” Aleksandar Martinovic, the head of the SNS deputies’ club said.

He added he did not forget about “other media that aren’t free.”

“Like Vreme, NIN, Nedeljnik, Novi Magazin, where you can read only the most notorious lies and untruths about Aleksandar Vucic, ministers, some MPs, Serbia as a state… The million-dollar question now is who is the next target of those media: N1, Vreme Danas, Nedeljnik, Novi Magazin, that are unfree,” Martinovic said.

Aleksandar Seselj, an MP from the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and the son of Vojislav, convicted war criminal and the SRS leader, added that those media “are best known for reporting that Kosovo is an independent state, that there was a genocide in Srebrenica, that Serbs are genocidal nation, full of war criminals, retarded, primitive, toothless and alike.”

The insults and attack on independent media and NGOs in Serbia continued though some of them demanded the practice of using such language in the state institutions should stop.

BEOGRAD, 19.07.2019. – Predstavnik OEBS-a za slobodu medija, Harlem Desir osudio je danas na svom Tviter nalogu napad Vojislava Šešelja na novinarku našeg lista Snežanu Čongradin.

On je na svom Tviter nalogu osudio pretnje Vojislava Šešelja upućene našoj novinarki u Skupštini Srbije.

„Najoštrije osuđujem uvrede i pretnje srpskog političara Vojislava Šešelja upućene novinarki Danasa Snežani Čongradin, povodom njenog članka“.

On ističe i da bi zvaničnici trebalo da se uzdrže i da osude sve vrste zastrašivanja i pretnji novinarima.

SKOPJE, 18.07.2019 – Recent developments with the detention of Bojan Jovanovski, manager in 1TV, raise doubts about serious media abuse for personal wealth of individuals. This development of events related to 1TV is also a blow to the reputation of professional journalism, and if there is no proper legal resolution, it can cause a decrease in the confidence of journalists and the media as a whole.

AJM also expresses concerns about the situation of the journalists and media workers employed in this TV station who can be left on the streets due to this scandal. This may additionally have a negative impact on the overall labor market in the media sector.

This situation should be the last alarm for urgent implementation of the announced and promised reforms in the media sphere, but also in the overall media business, through the necessary monitoring regarding the way the media is financed and in relation to the ownership.

We urge the Government and opposition through the Parliament to find a mechanism for immediate unblocking of parliamentary procedures and to continue the reforms important for the media. We emphasize and reiterate that all deadlines for the election of the new members in the MRT Program Council and the Council of AVMS have been violated.

These are preconditions that should lead to the final creation of an environment in which the private media, as well as the public service, will be able to function independently, in the interest of the public.

We urge the AVMS to conduct emergency surveillance in order to determine whether the 1TV has violated the provisions of the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services.

Also, we call the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje as well as the competent institutions to promptly and efficiently investigate the public’s doubts that the institutions act selectively and do not work in the interest of the citizens. A quick legal resolution of the case will be very important for the future of employed journalists and media workers in the 1TV.