SKOPJE, 10.05.2019 – The Association of Journalists of Macedonia reacts to the conclusion of the Government of the Republic of Northern Macedonia made on the 8th of May, which gives an assessment on the work of the Macedonian Radio Television. The conclusion is that the MRT has not met the professional and ethical journalistic standards for ensuring editorial independence, unbiased and objectivity while informing the public. It is undisputed that in the past MRT has been criticized in many international reports that it has failed to report professionally during events of public interest. As a reminder, the report of Reporters Without Borders stated that the reform in MRT was omitted and that the public service continues to serve the interests of the former government.

We point out that under Article 104 of the LAAMS, the Macedonian Radio Television as a public broadcasting service is independent of any state authority, other public legal entity or trade company and should be impartial in the editorial and business policy.

However, we emphasize that the Government is not a competent institution that should evaluate the work of the media. We urge the Government not to engage in assessments of the professional standards of the media, because it thus comes out of its competence and takes over the work of the media (self) regulatory bodies. At the same time, we urge the Parliament of the RSM to continue the process of selecting a new composition of the MRT Program Council as a precondition for reforming the public service, which will contribute to its professionalization, raising the standards, but also developing the correspondent network .

SARAJEVO , 10.05. 2019 – Roman agencies (Latin: agentarium) were first attempts of professionally paid corresponding role in business activities. In this text, we shall deal with commercial/media agencies as mediators in the big business of TV commercial advertising. We are interested in their beginning, structure, role, and significance they have in this growing commercial advertising market.

An average viewer and in fact, any viewer is not actually concerned with how commercial advertisement reaches them, whether the client forwards it directly through media or whether there is a mediator in this business, authorized to represent media agency. This is how things are shaped with average viewers. We, the people that professionally follow and do this business, are much more interested in details
of this issue.

Beginning or market as one of quite a perfect mechanism

Marketing agencies, at least it the shape known to the wide public, could be considered as new – age companies. Their beginnings may be tied with mass media developed during the second half of the last century. Mediating consists of taking the responsibility, the burden of establishing and forming the company, risk of failure but it also consists of keeping the part of the profit to themselves.

First media agencies emerged as clients’ need to lease advertising space more efficiently, cheaper and faster than before. As the commercial advertising field was developing, media agencies managed to developed tools that included planning, a better comprehension of requirements, habits, behavior and payment affordability of their clients (consumers). Looking at the present, rather complex media field, the role of media agencies has become crucial for more efficient communications. By understanding clients’ intentions to change their behavior and habits in time and that it emerges in the market during particular, often irregular, time intervals, particular intensity, which additionally strengthen the action of commercial marketing message, media agencies consequently appear as important and inevitable factor in complex and developed marketing cosmos.

Structure and organization or how diversities attract:

Any serious media agency is divided according to the following sections:

– The account represents the heart of every media agency. This agency part is directly aimed towards the client. It is in charge of budget “boosting”. It mediates on behalf of the client towards other organizational segments and works by the rule imposed by special marketing experts considered as superior entities in this particular field, namely respectable psychologists.

– Creativity. The core of this division consists of designers and copywriters. There are also arrangers, cameramen, editors, photographers, architects, etc. Experts are divided into teams. Clients should by default, become familiar with the creative capacities of their teams.

– Planning. This division is dealing with the conceptual fate of the company.

– Marketing. In short terms, it means planning + researching/surveying.

– Media. In case that the above-mentioned divisions completed their work fully, “media” shall follow. 80% of means (funds) goes to media leasing space. Divisions make sure that the message reaches all consumers in the most appropriate moment.

– Financing and common human resources issues. This division is in charge of identical activities as in any business entity deriving from the tertiary sector.

We can see that this is about a heterogeneous group of experts with different profiles whose task is to successfully complete the business, mutually and with the purpose of fulfilling and meeting clients’ marketing needs with multidisciplinary approach included.

What gains may we expect from media agency? Benefits, benefits and more benefits

Basically, media agencies should be looked at as a marketing information bank. The information concerns the following entities: (1) Clients – their business affinities (target groups, budgets, willingness and time interval where funds (means) are to be allocated, etc.). (2) Market – it finally anticipates wishes, desires, and necessities of end users, that is, consumers. We should not forget here the dynamics and changes, including their structure as well as the frequency of adapting to these changes. And finally (3) Media – structural analysis of viewership and listening audience of program, following and analysis of program contents and schemes.

Media agencies act as channels between the advertiser and buyer from one hand, and channels between the advertiser and media on the other hand. In this way, agencies provide their clients with the required information regarding the habits of end users and provide their own clients with the best possible leasing media space and using the best quality commercial advertising platform.

Taking into consideration that agencies in the market respond and reply as media buyers, they often, are capable of providing clients with more affordable financial terms and conditions, because they buy a significant amount of media space so, therefore, the client ends us with direct financial benefit.

What kind of challenges do media agencies encounter? Adapt or disappear!

Media agencies are experts who understand the changes emerging within the media environment. They, along with their clients have constantly been facing changes and adapting to the media field. During the period of last ten years, this kind of changes has been intensified with the tendency of acceleration and enlargement. Close ties and cooperation with technology orientated companies (Google, Twitter and Facebook, etc.) make messages imposed by marketing companies become clear.

Aiming directed groups, understanding messages, their beforehand delivery to users (consumers) are some questions to which successful media agency must respond and reply by providing thorough and detail – tailored answers. We should also mention the existence of competitive, better and larger companies.

A short review of advertising reality in BiH market

The absence of clearly defined legislative, lack of structural association that would, in a most qualified way, protect the interests of a commercial advertising industry, disloyal commercial advertising competition form regional countries, the financial crisis which hit the BiH market, since 2009, altogether represent just many of the aggravating factors that media agencies, media houses, and commercial advertiser have been facing.

Legislative that relates to commercial advertising is mostly a constituent part of the set of documents that was once released by the CRA of BiH. However, these documents consisted of guidelines that concerned certain ethical principles which again have been part of markets in developed countries. Modern and comprehensive law on advertising is not in use though and the reason for this is the fact that there is no principle – based pressure which should be imposed by experts onto legislative bodies. Even the period of twenty years was not enough for representatives of this particular industry to sit and have a discussion so they could articulate their own interest and appear as legitimate partners in bringing and passing legislative framework that would eventually regulate the
business in the commercial advertising industry.

Even apart from the above-mentioned facts, the amount of invested means into advertising field has, since 2013, increased by some 2,8% on an annual level, although retail price rates of commercial advertising TV space has decreased. This is a result of the common financial crisis, including pressure imposed by particular large – scale advertisers to get more for less. These anomalies shall continue to grow and increase until clear rules of this
game in the advertising market on one hand, and, on the other hand, business in this particular field reaches its maximum liberty.

This text is a part of E-Bulletin– ninth edition of special serial of BHN online bulletin implemented through the “Media and Public Reputation” (origin. “Mediji i javni ugled”) project, also representing a contribution to public debate regarding the transparency of media ownership and upholding and encouraging the passing of set of laws aimed to advance media field and information market in BiH.

PRISTINA, 08.05.2019 – The Association of Kosovo Journalists has been concerned with the announcement of the Director of “Plus Television” media, Fatos Hetemi, about the threats that have been made towards the journalist Irfan Maliqi.

Journalist Maliqi as it is known for the AGK has written two texts, one of returning women from Syria war, and the other about the phenomenon of theft that happened recently in Viti.

For both of these stories, he has been threatened through two messages on Facebook’s social network.

The first person who threatened is known by the Kosovo Police, and second, the threat is made from a fake Facebook account. Fatos Hetemi the Director of Plus Television announced that after informing the police has started the investigation.

The AGK invites the justice authorities to create a safer environment for journalists through prosecution and trial people who impede reporting on truth and all phenomenons that happened in our society.

AGK called on all media workers not to silence and report on any threats or hindrances to their work.

PRISHTINA, 03.05.2019 – The Association of Kosovo Journalists has been concerned with the announcement of the editor chief of Gazeta Express, Leonard Kërquki, on the words used by the Speaker of the Parliament, Kadri Veseli, in a phone conversation regarding the newspaper Express which reported that Veseli traveled to the Hague afternoon to be interviewed by the Special Court.

However, Mr. Kërquki has pointed out that the news was published based on sources which were unable to be confirmed by the office of the Speaker of Parliament. According to Kërquk, the words of Speaker has degenerated until the telephone conversation was going to happen through Whatsapp.

“You go to mother and I love you… Do not forget that people have families and children – it is not ok. I am speaking as President of the Assembly of Kosovo. You are abusing. Just go ahead. This job justly breezes my … do you know what they are saying to me. Tell him that I didn’t send his father in prison… He knows … Well, I know that the KLA even Kosovo has always been here, ” citing Kërquki the comments of Speaker, Kadri Veseli.

AGK concludes the pressures like that by politicians and their used words toward journalists are unacceptable, which do not contribute to establishing the environment of journalism. Especially, in the World Press Freedom Day, we seek to avoid the obstacles to report in the interest of citizens.

AGK asks Mr. Veseli and other politicians that instead of offending and attacking journalists, they should be transparent to the public, especially for developments of this nature, of great interest to the citizens of Kosovo.

SKOPJE, 03.05.2019 – The Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM), the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) and the Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM), on the occasion of celebration of the World Press Freedom Day, May 3rd, would like to recall to the need for serious engagement of all relevant actors in undertaking the major reform steps in the media sector in the country.

In the past period some efforts were made, resulting with improvement of the working environment for the journalists and media workers, which in turn, improved the country’s image in the international media freedom reports. For illustration, our country is ranked 95th according to the latest World Press Freedom Index of “Reporters Without Borders”, going up 14 places in comparison to 2018’ report.

However, we would like to remind that the key systemic changes in the media sector are not yet completed, such as the reforms in the public broadcasting service and the media regulator. In addition, commercial media continue to face strong challenges due to the small and limited media and advertising market, which in turn affects the quality of the media content. At the same time, we appeal to the  Government and the institutions of the system, when bringing decisions considering improvement of the situation in journalism and media content to coordinate it with the professional media and journalistic community in the country.

In the first half of 2019 more incidents were noted where the rights of the journalists, cameramen and other media workers were violated, to what we have been constantly pointing out. We appeal to the Public Prosecution Office and the courts processes and finalize the cases in which the rights of journalists were violated, as well as the cases that include hate speech, in order to overcome the long time existing impunity practice and to prevent injustice towards media community.

We would like to remind to the need of taking urgent measures regarding labor rights of the journalists and media workers, taking into consideration that half of them are without employment contracts, especially in the online media sphere. In that direction, we expect the institutions to sanction the constant breaches of the Labor Relations Law and to ensure climate that will encourage social dialogue and resolution of the issues concerning labor conditions.

The four organizations will continue to advocate for strong promotion of the media self-regulation as a mechanism for enhancing the professionalism, ethics and independence in the media, prevention of influence of different centers of power and mechanism that allows the public to receive quality and independent information.

Prior to the second round of voting for the President in the country, the four organizations would like to remind the media to their duties to report professionally and according to the principles stated in the CMEM’ Charter on Ethical Reporting during Elections:

– truthfulness and objectivity,

–  the principle of balance,

– clear distinction between information and comments,

– fairness and impartiality,

– professional solidarity among media,

– editorial independence and professional integrity,

– respect and tolerance and

– freedom and responsibility.

We will continue the intensive cooperation with our respected international partners, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). We stand together in support of the campaign of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) – “The role of media in elections and democracy”, whose purpose is to enable media access to free and diverse information, independent from the influence of the centers of political and economic power.

Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM)

Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM)

Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM)

Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM)

SKOPJE, 02.05.2019 – On May 1, 2019, in front of the entrance of the shopping center “Skopje City Mall” cameraman and journalist from Alfa TV were severely obstructed in performing their tasks. Members of the private security agency “OSA” approached the cameraman and the journalist on the pavement in front of the shopping center Skopje City Mall and ordered not to film there and leave the area.

After Alfa TV reported this case to the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, we contacted the managers of this agency. They promised to investigate the event and take measures towards the persons from their agency who eventually exceeded their powers. Additionally, they apologized to the cameraman and the journalist if they have in any way obstructed their work.

AJM will submit a request for full investigation of this case to the Chamber of Private Security Agencies of the Republic of North Macedonia in order to solve this incident. It is necessary to know that members of private security agencies must not limit the work of cameramen and journalists, especially when they do their work on public spaces.