SARAJEVO, 28.06.2019. – Although we often hear that media houses should be promoting the authority and unbiased judiciary institutions, I still reckon that it is judiciary institutions that represent themselves in most credible way and that they should additionally be working on improving their own reputation and authority.

Authority, equitability and professionalism cannot be accomplished through media promotion; instead it can be achieved by being truly unbiased and completely professional by all means necessary. Although BiH judiciary system has for years been working on raising the level of applicable standards, including professionalism, effectiveness and equitability, we have witnessed many warnings issued by numerous international organizations outlining that this particular field does require more effort in order to attain and reach the European standard level.

Unfortunately, this occurrence emerged as a result of countless court proceedings and investigations processed against many, highly ranked officers from BiH judiciary institutions and these proceedings sent clear message to everyone that this field did indeed need more effort and significant changes. Hasty dismissals of few of these officers, their compromising, but on the other hand, their returning into judiciary institutions with symbolic financial fines (mostly in terms of reducing their salary amounts) and even their accusations and critics directed to judiciary institutions and highly ranked officials at legislative and governing levels, but also critics directed by international community authorities – seemed more than serious and three have been many scandals and compromising situations that have altogether been shaking and disturbing our judiciary system. These turbulences cannot be tolerated, since they compromised the work of all people working within judiciary institutions, because these people have their professional careers that were founded of completely different values than listed above.

There are many of people that work and do perform their duties and tasks in most honest and unbiased way. Additionally, we often witnessed that any critics directed to the work by judiciary institutions were considered in most dramatic way and were qualified as assaults on judiciary system which was very wrong view in the first place.

Media representatives cannot have the role of blind and mute promoters of unbiased authority of judiciary institutions which is, at least, unacceptable and unprofessional because objectiveness, professionalism, facts and, accordingly, concrete results, display the only measure in order to acquire authority and also, in order to regain disturbed trust and respect.

Naturally, not everything should be considered as black as it seems, since there are various affirmative and positive cases in this field that, to some extent, flow silently in media sources and thus remain unknown and unexposed to general public.

But at the end of the day, their work should include performing their duties in most appropriate way anyway.

Communication between media and judiciary institutions

Generally speaking, how important is communication between media and judiciary institutions, particularly in BiH, a transitional country still struggling with almost all types of required reforms? As experienced journalist with over 20 years of work in this field, I could reply to this question sharply – it is indeed extremely important.

However, our common interests often interfere: journalists often seek immediate information and want more information with more details, while judiciary system is often narrowed to its very strict framework and we often have the opportunity to see favoring or discrimination of particular media house, as far providing the information is concerned. Also, I often find amusing the fact that certain information, for reasons beyond any common sense, are hidden or shadowed, or partially forwarded to media, that is, to general public. These cases prove and confirm that judiciary institutions often display part of global problem only, instead of being part of constructive solution. Mutual and common understating is required for both parties and sides included in this process with primary pretension – public interest in the first place, because the public have the right to know and to be informed.

During my professional work, I often encountered and cooperated with judiciary institutions and this cooperation could be considered as satisfactory: After sending enquiries, short, very brief, limited answer without details included follow and these details are in fact necessary for any kind of serious or objective investigation in journalists’ articles, texts or posts.

On the other hand, sometimes I have to wait for answers and replies for days and then again – I end up with short answers containing barely two or three sentences. They even sometimes refuse to provide answers or to reply at all, completely ignoring journalist’s enquiries, perhaps expecting the “ageing” procedure to commence. This specific approach allows speculations to emerge, including presumptions and finally by placing incorrect and unchecked information for which journalists cannot be held responsible.

These obstructions and lack of understating seem devastating, as far as public informing is concerned, but it also seems devastating as far as jour nalists’ work is concerned, since obstructions demonstrate pure violation of journalists’ rights, which, in developed democracies, cannot be tolerated or even may be subject to certain sanction

“Freedom of hate” always sells well

Regarding this particular context, I would emphasize the following and investigating court proceedings and procedures in relation with war crimes cases, which unfortunately (for BiH public) seems hyper – sensitive issue and these processes always tend to encourage the distending of hate between different ethnic groups.

Unfortunately, right to freedom of expression in BiH is very often misused and is misinterpreted, as is the right to demonstrate wide hate and certain media houses sometimes encourage this specific thesis, because “freedom of hate” (especially when it is founded and based on ethnic premises), almost always wins in BiH and can always be sold for a god price producing benefits. On the other hand, public word, regardless to the “side” it concerns, can also serve as initial spark for eventual and new fire – and we journalists bear great responsibility in the entire process.

The thing that recently presented me with shock, was the conduct by certain judiciary institution officials, in regard with the case of recently murdered David Dragicevic, where public have been deprived of information for this particular case for weeks, although Mr. Slobodan Vaskovic, a journalists from Banjaluka had revealed and released serious accusations against legal and judiciary police institutions that, at some point, appeared even compromising and were directed against highest – ranked officials of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH. This was at least very similar to Dzenan Memic case and the fact that, thousands of people gathered in countless number of public protests seeking information from judiciary institutions and (accordingly) demanding the processing of those responsible for this murder, seemed unbelievable and unthinkable, especially in modern democracy – biased society, but also seemed unbearable in the country that tends to become full member of the European Union.

Media are often referred to as the fourth pillar of the developed and modern democracy and it would be common sense to have both media and judiciary system on the same “side”. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, we still have the society that gradually develops democratic values; society that attempts to fight against corruption occurrences, including powerful political pressures in all fields.

However, the path to progress of our country has no alternative and the cooperation between media and judiciary institutions should have no alternative either; it should have no doubts and limits, as far as the responsibility demonstrated by both sides is concerned, including mutual understanding and cooperation. We should all insist on accomplishing the system – based cooperation between media and judiciary system if we were to obtain, reach and attain advanced, progressive and transparent society, even if it is not the case at present.

This text is a part of the fourth edition of the special serial of BHJ online bulletin E-journalist implemented as part of the following project: Reinforcing Judicial Expertise on Freedom of Expression and the Media in South-East Europe (JUFREX). You can read the entire bulletin HERE. 

Vera Soldo, BHN Bulletin E-journalist, Sarajevo

BEOGRAD, 27.06.2019. – Direktor programa TV N1 Jugoslav Ćosić izjavio je u intervjuu za nedeljnik “Vreme” da je uveren da tabloide i gotovo sve elektronske medije u Srbiji kontroliše medijski generalštab predsednika Republike, u kojem se, kako je rekao, donose sve važne medijske odluke.

Ćosić je za “Vreme” izjavio da se ne kaje zbog tvita u kojem je list “Alo” nazvao “medijskim SS odredom”, nakon što je taj tabloid optužio N1 da poziva na ubistvo predsednika Aleksandra Vučića tako što je iz prenosa protesta uživo na Fejsbuku izvukao “jedan od milion komentara koji stvarno nije korektan, i u kom se pominje ‘rumunski scenario'”.

“Komentari na Fejsbuku idu takvom brzinom da niko ne može da ih kontroliše (…) Te novine ‘Alo’, kao i druge tabloide, a i gotovo sve elektronske medije, po mom uverenju kontroliše medijski generalštab predsednika Srbije. U tom generalštabu donose se važne medijske odluke: ko je sutra predmet napada, na koji način i koja će pitanja biti postavljena Vučiću. O pitanjima se obaveštava ko treba, a onda ih iznenađenom predsedniku postavljaju na konferenciji za medije. Tako, eto, izgleda ta uređivačka politika”, kazao je Ćosić uz ocenu da se nezavisnim medijima u Srbiji dešava isto ono što se događalo Jevrejima u nacionalsocijalističkoj Nemačkoj 1936. godine – uvod u istrebljenje.

Prošle nedelje je zamenik gradonačelnika Beograda Goran Vesić optužio televiziju N1da vodi kampanju protiv gradske vlasti i kao dokaz za to na svom Fejsbuk profilu izneo internu prepisku između urednika i novinara N1.

Ćosić kaže da je prepiska autentična, ali da u njoj nema “apsolutno ničeg spornog ni kontroverznog”.

“U njemu je samo zadatak novinaru da isprati taj događaj kao i da zamenika gradonačelnika pita za gužve u gradu i da li je čitao Hardingov izveštaj pošto je o njemu više puta govorio u različitim medijima. Svaka televizija pravi takav plan za sutradan. I u svakoj televiziji ga prave urednici”, objasnio je direktor programa TV N1.

Dodao je, međutim, da je ono što Vesić govori čista izmišljotina, jer ne postoji bilo kakva direktiva da se napada gradska vlast, što se može videti i iz citata i-mejla, niti je tu poruku poslao on, niti je bilo ko vršio mobing nad novinarima N1.

“Zamenik gradonačelnika to odlično zna i svesno govori neistine u svojoj ličnoj borbi da opstane i da postane kalif umesto kalifa, u gradu koji sve dublje tone u haos, a sve je teže održavati iluziju da je sve u redu. Tim pre što je N1 veoma nezgodan medijski svedok, jer pratimo grad iz dana u dan. Mislim da je njegova najveća frustracija što nema mnogo poverenja. Ima faraonsku ambiciju, a najmanje mu veruju u samom SNS-u. To shvatamo iz neformalnih razgovora sa članovima SNS-a. A da je tako, govori i to što SNS nije smeo da ga postavi za gradonačelnika nakon poslednjih beogradskih izbora. I on to odlično zna, jer radi se o ekstremnom političkom preletaču”, naveo je Ćosić.

Iz novinarskog ugla biće zanimljivo videti da li će na predstojećim izborima naredne godine, a predsednik je najavio i lokalne, SNS smeti da rizikuje sa Vesićem, dodao je Ćosić. “Mogli bi da prođu kao Erdogan u Istanbulu”, konstatovao je.

Na negativnu kampanju prošle nedelje je upozorila i United Grupa, u okviru koje posluje i N1, upozorivši u saopštenju da predstavnici režima tu kompaniju napadaju i van granica zemlje.

“Napokon su shvatili da N1 ima čvrstu i trajnu podršku investitora za uređivački politiku i da se tu ništa neće menjati, pa je sve oružje upereno na uništenje same grupe, jer misle da je to jedini put da se uguše ne samo N1, već i drugi nezavisni mediji. Nebitno je što u United Grupi radi 3.500 ljudi čije porodice žive od toga”, istakao je Ćosić.

Podsetio je da u brojnim aferama u poslednjih sedam godina, ali i pre – od Mobtela, Luke Beograd, TC Ušća, postavljanja optičkih kablova na Koridoru 10, do Beograda na vodi, Er Srbije, prodaje PKB-a i Galenike – nikada nisu pomenuti ni SBB, ni ime Dragana Šolaka, sve do 2014. godine kada je N1 počeo sa radom.

“Da li vam to nešto govori? Tada su odjednom i SBB i Šolak izronili kao podmornica. Odjednom se SBB razvijao nekorektno i uz političku pomoć”, ukazao je.

Redakciji TV N1 istovremeno se javljaju građani koji se žale da Telekom “divljački raskopava” trotorare i razvlači svoju optiku, a onda ulazi u zgrade i obmanjuje stanare da imaju saglasnost većine, štemuju zidove i razvlače svoje kablove tamo gde je već SBB.

“Nemam apsolutno ništa protiv konkurencije u bilo kojoj oblasti, uključujući i medije, ali sam protiv nasilja i bezakonja (…) Podržavam razvoj Telekoma, ali ovde se radi o političkom projektu i kontroli medijskog polja. Mi o ovom razvlačenju kablova ne izveštavamo upravo zbog toga što smo deo United Grupe, mada zaista imamo pravo na to jer se radi o akcionarskom društvu (Telekomu) čiji je vlasnik država”, rekao je Ćosić.

Podsetio je da TV N1, uvek kada izveštava o Telekomu ili nekom projektu United Grupe, obavezno na kraju svakog teksta ili priloga objavljuje da je N1 deo grupe, upravo da ne bi gledaoce dovodili u zabludu.

SARAJEVO, 26.06.2019. – The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association (BHJA) and the Free Media Help Line request from the Intelligence – Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina  (OSA) an urgent and public statement of allegations made by Milorad Dodik, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, about tapping journalists of ten media companies from BiH, Serbia and Croatia.

At the press conference held in Sarajevo yesterday, Dodik said that OSA was monitoring, eavesdropping, and “directing” journalists and media outlets with the goal of “incrimination of politically unsuitable people”, and supported this claim by the OSA’s protocol number (number 05/1-4-1547/19) on the basis of which, supposedly, wiretapping is made.

The Steering Committee of BH Journalists expresses concern about this assault on media freedom in BiH and neighboring states, as well as threatening the security of journalists and media misuse in political and other purposes forbidden by law. Tracking, eavesdropping and monitoring journalists and media are intolerable in democratic societies – they are incompatible with the protection of professional integrity of journalists and media. In this context, for the journalist community, information about possible misuse of authority by the OSA agency and the involvement of journalists is equally dangerous and disturbing as well as the statement by Milorad Dodik, who made this information public in BiH. Both sides must urgently and completely transparent clear up this scandalous act, which is at the same time a serious violation of media freedom and criminal offense.

The BH Journalists Steering Committee requires an immediate response not only from OSA agency, but also from the BiH Prosecutor’s Office and BiH Joint Parliamentary Committee for overseeing the work of security agencies in BiH, as well as carrying out investigations and taking sanctions against all who are institutionally or personally behind this act.

At the same time, BH Journalists and the Free Media Help Line seek the response of competent international organizations and institutions to the latest case of violation of media freedom in BiH and the region.

The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association

SARAJEVO, June 25, 2019. – A thorough reform of the judiciary and education system, creating better conditions for young people, corruption, poor health and social systems are just some of the problems that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to solve before gaining candidate status for the European Union – these are the opinions of BH citizens presented in the survey of The Office of the European Union in BiH, as well as the majority of media and non-governmental representatives, who have had the opportunity to discuss the Opinion on BiH’s application for membership in the European Union today in Sarajevo with EU officials.

With the message “Time to move from Opinion to Acts”, citizens, journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations, as well as EU officials, all agree to one: Bosnia and Herzegovina is definitely not yet ready for access to EU, and the European Commission’s Opinion speaks that our country did not reach a level in any area that can be considered as good preparation for the EU.

We have had the same recommendations for years and we need to exert strong pressure on the political elite in BiH to have these processes finally launched, said the participants in today’s discussion. However, politicians aren’t the only ones (not) responsible for such situation – participants of the debate have emphasized that there is a great responsibility on the citizens themselves who, each in their domain and profession they deal with, can influence positive changes in society.

Representatives of the political authorities in BiH are mostly dealing with themselves and they can not be expected to be proactive and take responsibility, says Borka Rudic, General Secretary of the BH Journalists Association (BHJA). As a positive example of civic and journalistic activism, she pointed out the recent attempt by the Republic of Srpska Government to amend the Law on Public Order and Peace to prevent journalists or cameramen from filming police officers.

– Journalists, NGO’s and activists reacted to such a move and made a joint list of proposals for the RS Government. The RS Government eventually withdrew this proposal because it is not in line with european standards of protection of media freedom and rights. This is one example of how the interested parties can take responsibility for the issues that concern them personally – said Rudic.

Similar opinion was given by Boro Kontic, director of the Media Center, who commented that “BiH was closer to the European Union 25 years ago than it is today”.

As EU representatives pointed out, the process of european integration in BiH is slow, primarily because there is no clear state-level strategy and a common vision for the EU accession.

– BiH is the only country that does not have a national program of harmonization of legislation with regulations and laws in EU countries. But when something is of direct concern to the public, politicians take that very seriously, because they know that in the opposite, the time will come when citizens will go out on the streets, and that will not be good for them – concluded one of the participants.

NOVI PAZAR, 25.06.2019. – Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije osuđuje napad na novinara televizije Sandžak Salahudina Fetića koji se dogodio juče posle podne u zgradi Bošnjačkog nacionalnog vijeća (BNV) u Novom Pazaru.

Novinara koji je pokušao da uđe na sednicu BNV u tome je grubo fizički sprečio pripadnik službe obezbeđenja, zapretio mu i verbalno ga izvređao. Fetić je pozvao policiju koja je veoma brzo stigla na lice mesta i uzela njegovu izjavu o incidentu. Fotografija njegovog razgovora sa policajcima kasnije je zloupotrebljena na sajtu liste Samoopredeljenje tako što je pogrešno navedeno da je Fetić „priveden zbog pokušaja nasilnog i izgreda ispred prostorija BNV”.

NUNS poziva rukovodstvo BNV na čelu sa novom, juče izabranom predsednicom Jasminom Baltić Curić da svim novinarima i medijima omoguće nesmetane uslove za rad i izveštavanje sa sednica BNV kako ubuduće ne bi dolazilo do ovakvih incidenata. U tom smislu, NUNS je spreman da pomogne u definisanju pravila saradnje BNV sa medijima.

Naime, juče je novinarima i snimateljima bilo dozvoljeno da za vrlo kratko vreme snime početak sednice, ali ne i nešto kasnije kada je u salu sa zakašnjenjem ušla grupa članova BNV, čime se promenio i sastav skupa.

Sekretarijat NUNS-a

U Beogradu 25.06.2019.

BELGRADE, 25.06.2019. – Jugoslav Cosic, the N1 Belgrade news Director, told the Cenzolovka website on Monday that Serbia’s journalists had been in the most difficult position when Aleksandar Vucic was Information Minister, and now during his presidency.

Since the day N1 TV went on air in 2014, the journalists of that media outlet have continuously been stigmatised by the top state officials including Vucic, Cenzolovka said.

Goran Vesic, the Deputy city’s, Mayor went a step forward claiming he had a copy of an N1 internal e-mail with alleged instructions to a journalist how to report on works in a street in Belgrade and accused N1 of waging a campaign against the city’s authorities.

N1 responded there was no written or oral instruction to wage a campaign against the Belgrade’s authorities, but that Vesic deliberately deceived the public and continued the attacks on N1, Cenzolovka said, while Cosic added Vesic was persecuting the TV’s journalists and threatening them.

The Special Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech crime refused to open an investigation into Vesic’s allegations since “the conditions are not met.” However, the N1 legal team is preparing crime charges against Vesic for publishing the internal correspondence, Cenzolovka said.

“My first reaction to Vesic’s statement was that the state security service was intercepting our correspondence,” Cosic told the website.

But, he added, the almost daily threats with physical violence and branding N1 journalists as traitors and foreign mercenaries, would not discourage N1 staff.

Cosic said the accusations like Vesic’s were absurd but dangerous.

“They can brand weathermen for announcing rain and storm as obscurantist because their forecast is an attack on Aleksandar Vucic. They rely on the fact that most of the audience cannot double-check anything since the regime controls the vast majority of the media and the flow of fake news and spins.”

In response to the question when it was the most difficult for journalists in Serbia, Cosic said it was never easy to do the job professionally, but “there were some differences.”

“The most difficult time was when Aleksandar Vucic was Information Minister (1998-2000). But the worst after that is now when Aleksandar Vucic is Serbia’s President,” Cosic said.

Asked about the top officials from the ruling coalition in Serbia constant refusal to come to N1, Cosic said the invitations were open, and that they would remain so.

“We cannot force them to come, but that is not the reason to change our professional ethics and the editorial policy,” Cosic said.

When asked who he considered the most responsible for deteriorating of media freedoms in Serbia, N1 Belgrade news director said that “the most responsible is Aleksandar Vucic personally.”

Cosic said that people from Vucic’s inner circle did not call him to react to the programme, but “they call our investors. The last example was when the Prime Minister (Ana Brnabic) media advisor called one of the United Group’s vice-presidents. She directed them to me and told them she would inform me about the call. I spoke about it publicly, and now I’m afraid that she might become the target of the campaign.”

SARAJEVO, 24.06.2019. – An analysis of the existing legislative framework, new standards of fair, objective and diverse information in local communities, as well as the greater linkage of journalists across Bosnia and Herzegovina are some of the goals of the “Free Media, Free Society” project, which is presented in Sarajevo today with the participation of over 50 representatives of civil society organizations, the media, the local government and the academic community.

Through this project, the BH Journalists Association (BHJA) and the Association of Electronic Media in BiH want to draw attention to the political, financial and institutional pressure on the media, which have resulted in serious violations of the right to freedom of information and freedom of expression in local communities.

Such political strategies and manipulations have led to a decline in the quality of media content and media objectivity in local communities, which is in direct contradiction with EU standards related to media work in the public interest and to the benefit of all citizens in the community.

Vladimir Pandurevic, the program manager of the European Union Delegation in BiH, during the introductory presentation stressed that without a strong civil society, there will be no entry into negotiations with the European Union, especially in the field of human rights.

“I’m glad we have full support from Brussels because they understand why we can not take the next steps without civil society. Government institutions need to know what is happening in civil society, “said Pandurevic.

The mayor of Sarajevo, Abdulah Skaka, spoke about the importance of cooperation between civil society, media and institutions in promoting the european values ​​of freedom of media protection, but also about responsible and impartial journalism. On this occasion, he pointed to the ever-increasing problem of online portals without any accurate data on ownership, which greatly undermined the credibility of responsible and professional media.

“We need to protect the reference media because without their high quality and responsible work, work of politicians either cannot be clearly recognized. It is precisely because of this that it is very important to work on empowering the media in local communities, in order to get as accurate and objective information as possible”, Skaka emphasized.

General secretary of BHJA Borka Rudic has spoken about growing problems faced by journalists in BiH: censorship, pressure on editors, unlawful appointments, violation of labor and social rights of media professionals.

“Journalists and local media editors are not strong enough to contradict these trends themselves, and the legislation is broadly set and does not guarantee the prevention of political and other influences on the work of local media. That is why we want to bring together with the financial support of the European Union a local media community throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and network them into a strong professional group that will strengthen investigative journalism in local media and improve the quality and diversity of media content”, says Rudic.

She added that the design of the Interactive Media Exchange Center is planned, which will serve as a tool to advocate the independence and integrity of vulnerable journalists.

The chairman of the Association of Electronic Media and Hayat TV director Elvir Svrakic stressed that one of the project’s advantages is that he is not only focused on the media but on multisectoral cooperation between civil society organizations, local authorities, citizens and media who can jointly fulfill the conditions for EU access integration.

“We will try to share quality information with all the local media, where we will focus not on increasing the number of media content but on their quality, and strengthening responsible and professional reporting in local communities,” said Svrakic.

At today’s meeting, a comprehensive, interactive platform – www.EUresurs.ba was presented. It presents all the programs and projects currently being implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, funded by the European Union. The web platform will promote european values, inform BiH citizens about the process of EU integration and monitor the progress and harmonization of domestic with the European Union legislation through several different sectors.