PODGORICA, 02.05.2019. – The World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to point out the biggest problems faced by employees in the Montenegrin media, and we are addressing the topics that media themselves are avoiding, trying to beautify the situation for which managers and owners of the media themselves are guilty of.

1. In Montenegro, there is only one media outlet that has a collective agreement. This clearly speaks about the readiness of managers and owners to change the conditions in which the people they hire work. The Trade Union of media of Montenegro has been trying to change the Branch Collective Agreement for years, but the employers from the media sector unanimously decided to stop these negotiations last year.

2. Non-payment of salaries is a problem that it is necessary to emphasize in every story about the Montenegrin media. This year we also had media that owed their employees up to 15 salaries. It is redundant to say that the regularity of earnings is a condition for employees to live and work, and therefore for the existence of media that function in such conditions. Unfortunately, in 2019, we are in a situation that we must explain this and appeal to the situation to change.

3. The right to strike is one of the guaranteed rights and the last “tool” that employees can use to fight for their rights. And that was the case in the previous years. In the media, we have a situation that for four years (since 2015) the Act on Minimum Workflow in the Conditions of the Strike isn’t adopted, due to the obstruction of the Union of Montenegrin employers, because they do not want to accept that it applies only to RTCG, and not to private media and local public broadcasters.

4. The freedom of trade union association is a constitutional category, but for one part of employers in Montenegro, this is not a sufficient argument to allow employees to use their rights. In one part of the media, trade union organization is completely disabled, while in the other, where there are trade union organizations, trade unionists and activists are under pressure.

5. The old technique is a limiting factor and media employees are forced to work and to try in various ways to make their work more professional. Without adequate equipment that facilitates work, we can not talk about freedom of media.

6. We believe that safety of journalists is partly the responsibility of both the state and its institutions. The most serious cases of attacks on journalists were left unresolved, and some were outdated. Security is a prerequisite for creating a normal ambience for the work of journalists.

7. It is also necessary to adopt laws, primarily the amended Law on Media, in order to, even in theory, create conditions for journalists to protect themselves and their work in editorial offices. However, we hope that the opportunity to limit the influence of media owners wont be missed because they, by abusing their position, affect the work of the editors and the journalists.

The Main Board of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, 02.05.2019.–Most of the citizens of BiH – 79% of the participants in the survey consider “unacceptable every kind of attack on journalists and the media”, while at the same time as many as 27% of respondents in the Republika Srpska and 17% in the Federation of BiH justify violence. Compared to 2018, the results represent a worrying rise in the number of citizens (by a full 14%) justifying violence against journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This is only part of the research results conducted by the BH Journalists Association and Friedrich Ebert Foundation on the occasion of May 3 – World Press Freedom Day.

The survey was conducted by the CATI method on a sample of 506 citizens from all over BiH and from 27 March to 8 April 2019. The main research questions were related to citizens’ opinion on the level of media freedom and respect for the rights of journalists in BiH, the recognition of political influences and pressures media, the main obstacles to free journalism, and the trust of citizens in various types of media, including media that are key sources of information for them and how public media services fulfill their mission, information needs of citizens and other obligations towards BiH publications.

The survey also showed that BiH citizens most trusted religious institutions (74%), followed by the media (66%), then with government institutions and the international community, while political parties and politicians enjoy the least trust. Compared to previous years, the results show that citizens ‘confidence in the media has dropped by more than 10 percent in the media, including a significant decline in citizens’ trust in non-governmental organizations and the international community, while trust in religious communities and government institutions has grown slightly.

Citizens of BiH, as well as separately from both entities, are “significantly less satisfied with the work of media and journalists in FBiH and RS compared to previous years”. Most of the respondents believe that media freedom in FBiH is “not at all or partially present”, while in RS almost 90% of respondents consider that “media freedom is not at all or partially present” in this entity.

Still, citizens recognize politicians and political parties as main violators of journalistic rights and media freedoms – 55% of respondents share this view.

The research on the topic of media freedom and the protection of journalists in BiH, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and BH journalists has been continuously implemented since 2009, and the results traditionally present on the World Press Freedom Day in order to encourage an interprofessional debate among the media professionals on the effectiveness of the mechanism for the protection of media freedom and rights journalists, public media responsibility and the protection of the key values of free journalism. The overall results of the research will be presented on May 3rd, 2019, at the press conference in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

SARAJEVO, 26.04.2019.- While IAB Serbia (Interactive Advertising Bureau) during Digital Days 2018 released the information that the online market in Serbia had achieved EUR 29.5 million in 2017 with serious growth in all segments, on the other hand, marketing agencies in Bosna and Herzegovina gabbled intact and thought about providing their international clients with answers regarding the ongoing and current questions about results, post – analysis campaigns, audience demography, attained and potential reach, monetary market value, including specific segments of the market. There is not enough available information regarding quality – based analysis and regarding planning either.

There are many causes for the unsettled digital market and responsibility equally represents the burden for both media houses and marketing agencies. In simple terms, due to lack of transparent market, any analysis is based on presumptions, approximate evaluations, and summing of those. While IAB operates in Serbia and this body was formed pursuant to mutual agreement between marketing agencies and media houses in 2011 and this body has also monitored the standardization of digital commercial advertising, promotion and education of advertisers, media houses and media agencies, on the other hand, this kind of body has never been formed in BiH nor anyone has been able to manage to organize adequate and competent association of online media houses, let alone association of all parties involved in the digital marketing market.

Affairs like “Gibraltar” confirmed enormous gaps in marketing agencies that should have operated as services and associated constituent parts of international and local (domestic) companies, instead, they managed to shake the trust of the advertisers into the BiH market. Apart from the fact that all accused parties were set free and exempt, direct results caused massive financial budget withdrawal from BiH and its re-directing to Croatian and Serbian market that, to some extent, could reach an audience in BiH, including global media such as Facebook, Google and YouTube.

Market without quality measuring is potential without implementation

Frankly speaking, media houses have not yet put in enough effort to make the market better than it is at present. While there are around 60 web sites in Serbia, co-financing the work of Genius Audience, the tool used to measure the traffic on web sites and audience demography functioning and operating in most parts of Mid Europe and Eastern Europe, in Bosnia and Herzegovina only three web sites have shown interests and expressed willingness to make their financial contribution, as far as this type of measuring issue was concerned. Also, particular media houses have continually imposed pressure on Gemius, in terms of signing in and signing out, deriving from conducted research and survey process, including measuring codes removal, because the outcome results proved different from what certain online media house entrepreneurs (owners) expected them to be and what they thought they should have been.

With the emerging of clickbait, the domination of Facebook traffic, posting and sharing of fake news, along with the above mentioned financial gains, Gemius operation became pointless and it gradually withdrew from the market.
Do metrics came as a substitute; an ambitious project that should have provided quality – targeted research and survey of the market affairs on daily basis, but the paying scenario has once again emerged as obstacle, including continuous effort by particular web sites to make influence on research and survey results and present their statistics better than they in fact were.

How to make progress and reach market growth?

According to the above mentioned, rather pessimistic market review, we could conclude that fundamental problems in the market concerning digital marketing in BiH, are lack of necessary information required for analysis and planning of media plans, non – transparency of media, corruption and bribery among marketing agencies, and absence and lack of education level of advertisers that with the level of their ignorance allow and enable “fog hunting”.

In order to take a pounce which we have all been waiting for (for years), and pounce which has already been launched in Croatian market, (and Serbian market is going through its initial stage), few steps are necessary and required for its emerging in BiH market: One of the first steps that should be accomplished is market standardization. Unifying of commercial advertising formats with international standards and equal or similar prices based on realistic and actual indicators and results. In order to accomplish that, it is necessary to have a formal organization and measuring process, but we shall discuss this later on. BiH market definitely needs a formal organization such as IAB, which would be authorized by both, media houses and media agencies to release public bids for market measuring results.

They should also organize education programs for media houses and market agencies, including advertisers and familiarize them with trends, technical specifications, tools and rules required for data and information analysis.
When we talk about measuring process, we must take one thing into serious consideration and that is: Quality aimed to measure is expensive to process. Undeveloped market, in its initial stage (as in BiH at this moment), is surely
not yet ready to pay full price to some of the leading researching and surveying agencies, but it should still use the opportunity provided, in terms of relatively affordable, but also quality – based, researching tools targeted for central and East European market, such as Gemius Audience and Dotmetrics.

Having in mind that almost all web sites at present have (more or less) incomes deriving from Google ads, perhaps the market is ready to apply and implement the model of charging for research and surveys, including financing of the association like other regional markets are practicing. Internal change and alteration of business operating policy are yet one of the most serious steps that parties and entities involved in digital marketing should do.

Despite the fact that internet advertising is indeed subject to most adequate measuring and potentially it provides the best possible feedback, since online advertising is considered as side by side with television advertising in the world, according to estimates provided by analysts, digital marketing market in BiH takes place in this process with merely 6% to 7% of its share, while television absolutely dominates with around 60% of its share.

There are many reasons for such a range gap, with three of them being considered as the most important reasons: 1. Television houses take part in (more or less) formal association and have official measurer which is accepted by all participating members. 2. Television represents a traditional media source, so media planers already have certain pre-knowledge, in terms of creating their plans, and, although digital media sources should take part with more significant share ratio than what they currently have, lack of education of planers is favoring television houses. 3. Personal interests and agreements (deals) between agency entrepreneurs (owners) and television houses.

Web sites should also replace short term strategies with mid-term and long terms strategies. From my own personal experience, I know that large part of media houses think that instant earning of BAM 1.000.00 is better than earning
the amount of BAM 10.000.00 in six month time, as they are ready to provide dumping prices as well, in order to accomplish their short – term goals. Equalization of measuring units with the international standards, including equalization of commercial advertisement format in both, shape and technical sense – all of this would make a significant contribution as far as preparing advertisers for the entire market in a most simple way is concerned.

We are often presented with the opportunity to see media plans prepared by our colleges from agencies and how they, to some extent, must prepare the same format in ten different dimensions. Therefore, for billboards format we often encounter different varieties: 970×250, 960×250, 980×250, 970×200, 960x 240 etc. Certain media houses require click tag script; others demand third-party script, and some even must upload directly the creative version to their own server. The advertiser that is preparing regional or global campaign will experience significant problems if the creative agency is located somewhere on the other part of the planet, as this can present advertisers with enormous cost and expense, especially if we take into consideration the ratio between required plotting and producing costs with the amount of total budget available.

Transparent pricelists, respecting the discount scale and getting paid through invoices, should represent fundamental business principles. Once we sweep the floor in our own house and settle internal factors, we could then expect a bigger amount of trust, more investments and at the same time, we could expect better results.

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.

PODGORICA, 26.04.2019. – On the occasion of May 3, the World Press Freedom Day, the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro started a campaign in which, speaking on union issues, we will point out the biggest problems in the media community, which directly depends on the freedom of the media.

We consider that decent working conditions are a precondition for the existence of media freedom and that we can not talk about this topic without the mention of wages, collective agreements, the safety of media workers, the freedom of trade union association…

That is why we will point out every day a problem that concerns the conditions in which employees of the Montenegrin media are working, through a campaign that will last until the World Press Freedom Day. Our goal is to draw attention of decision makers, media owners and managers and to say that they are responsible for the situation in which the media are today. We want to draw the attention of the public to the problems we are facing, and our members and all media employees to recall that what links us all together are the same problems and that we must fight together to improve the situation.

The campaign will take place on social network.

BEOGRAD, 25.04.2019. – I pored višedecenijskih kazni za ubistvo novinara Slavka Ćuruvije, Tužilaštvo za organizovani kriminal nije bilo zadovoljno svim što je predsednica veća Snežana Jovanović pročitala na izricanju presude.

Kako je Danasu potvrđeno u toku jučerašnjeg dana, Tužilaštvo za organizovani kriminal je 11. aprila uložilo žalbu Apelacionom sudu tražeći da dvojica osuđenih pripadnika Državne bezbednosti (DB) – Milan Radonjić i Ratko Romić budu iz kućnog, prebačeni u zatvorski pritvor.

Kako je prvi objavio Nedeljnik, tužilaštvo je zatražilo da se odluka Višeg suda u Beogradu preinači i o istoj ponovo odlučuje. Danasu su iz TOK-a kazali da je žalba podneta zbog uznemirenja javnosti, kao i toga što u praksi nije zabeleženo da osobe prvostepeno osuđene za ubistvo ne budu u pritvoru do pravosnažnosti presude.

Ovakav zahtev tužilaštva, prema mišljenju advokata Slobodana Ružića koji je na suđenju za ubistvo Ćuruvije zastupao njegovu porodicu, potpuno je osnovan.

– Imajući u vidu visinu kazne na koju su osuđeni Radonjić i Romić razumljivo mi je zbog čega tužilaštvo traži da se prebace u pritvor. Stvarno, kada neko za ubistvo dobije 20 i 30 godina zatvora, kazna kućnog pritvora deluje neadekvatno, kaže Ružić, uz opasku da su razlozi zbog kojeg su dvojica pripadnika DB-a bili u pritvoru i dalje na snazi.

S druge strane, advokatica Zora Dobričanin Nikodinović, koja je branila Radonjića i Romića, nije želela da komentariše žalbu tužilaštva, tvrdeći da ne zna o čemu je reč i da joj niko nije dostavio žalbu. Kada smo joj predočili sadržaj žalbe, kazala je da nikada nije čula da neko kome je odobren kućni pritvor sa elektronskim nadzorom bude vraćen u pritvor.

Podsetimo, Milan Radonjić i Ratko Romić, bivši pripadnici DB-a, su u avgustu 2017. godine, dok je trajalo suđenje za ubistvo Ćuruvije, bili pušteni iz pritvora i stavljeni u kućni pritvor sa elektronskim nadzorom. Oni su bili uhapšeni u januaru 2014. godine pod sumnjom da su učestvovali u ubistvu Ćuruvije, a te sumnje je nedavno potvrdilo veće Posebnog odeljenja Višeg suda u Beogradu osuđujući ih na višedecenijske kazne. Pored njih osuđeni su i bivši načelnik DB-a Radomir Marković, i bivši rezervista DB-a Miroslav Kurak. Kako su najavljene žalbe na osuđujuću presude, slučaj ubistva Ćuruvije prelazi u nadležnost Apelacionog suda u Beogradu.

PODGORICA, April 24, 2019 – The management of the Public Broadcasting Service and the representatives of both unions have reached an agreement on the Collective Agreement, and the harmonized version was sent to the Ministry of Finance, RTCG General Manager Bozidar Sundic said at today’s session of the Public Service Council.

Sundic pointed out that it was agreed that some coefficients would increase, and that he hopes that after the holiday, after receiving the opinion of the Ministry, the contract will be signed and that the employees will receive the June salary according to the new Collective Agreement.

“I am pleased that we managed to finish this to the satisfaction of all RTCG employees,“ said the general manager.

He explained that there were no significant changes in the job systematization.

Violation of rights of journalist Ćirović, disagreeing about Leković case

At today’s session of the Council of Radio-Television of Montenegro, complaints were addressed to TVCG journalists Zoran Leković and Nevenka Ćirović. Ćirović, in a letter to the Council, claims that in her TV report, which was broadcasted in Dnevnik, the statement of EU Ambassador to Montenegro Aivo Orav, was censured, while Lekovic told the RTCG Council that his management and editorial staff were setting guests and topics, and that the program “Okvir” was directed by someone outside the Public Service.

Council members Milan Radovic and Goran Sekulovic agreed that censorship occured.

“For the first time since I have been in the Council, we have documented that censorship has been carried out,” Radovic said.

Goran Sekulovic estimated that this was unnecessary, unacceptable and harmful to the house.

“It was completely deplored, even harmful to the one who has done so, harmful to the media house, a big auto-goal, it should be sanctioned from the top of the house, no matter who and when it comes, it is inadmissible“, Sekulovic said.

TVCG director Slavko Djurdjic pointed out that the Council violated Article 59 of the Statute RTCG. He states that, according to this document, the employee is obliged to contact the superiors first. If he does not receive an answer within 7 days then, as he said, a reporter can contact the Council.

“Here the term of censorship is easily used. The editor who does the show estimates the minutes and if necessary shortens the TV report. That sentence was missing from Orav, but I was told that it was already in more of our news programs. Since the topic was something else, the editor shortened it. The only mistake was that the editor should have informed Nevenka about the shortening”, Djurđić said.

He claims that there is no word about censorship.

“The attitude was not hidden, it was broadcast in earlier program, the problem was only the length of the attachments, the editor needed to call her, we have these practices, but they can never reach every journalist to inform them”, Djurdjic said.

Speaking about Lekovic’s statements, Djurdjic said that he would not prejudge the outcome of the disciplinary procedure that is underway.

“Lekovic hired three lawyers, I will not declare myself on this occasion, but publicly in the disciplinary procedure. If he gets the procedure, I will publicly apologize”, Djurdjic said.

Sekulovic agreed with Djurdjic on the issue of Lekovic.

“The circumstances that do not go hand in hand with the reputation of the house have come to fruition. Ten times it is let go, once it is gone, then one becomes the case”, Sekulovic said.

Council member Vladimir Pavicevic reminded Djurdjic of Article 61 which, he adds, means that journalists can seek protection of the Council.

“Was the Orav statement in prior broadcasts are not important, because it is a case that has raised a lot of public attention”, Pavicevic said.

Radovic believes that Lekovic and Ćirović are under pressure of this and earlier management.

„My conclusion is because of their work that is not contrary to the public interest“, said Radovic.

General Director of the RTCG, Bozidar Sundic, said that these journalists did not address him and he thinks they should. He pointed out that the shortening of the TV report is not a censorship. Sundic believes that these topics are exclusively under the authority of the Director-General and suggested that he speak with Lekovic and Ćirović and inform the Council about this.

Council President Ivan Jovetic believes that in case of Ćirović there was a misconduct.

The Council of  Radio-Television of Montenegro believes that in the case of Nevenka Ćirović were violated the rights of the journalist and asked to initiate the procedure for protection. Five out of six members of the Council voted for.

In the case of Zoran Lekovic, members of the Council believe that they do not have enough information to make a decision, and this body did not conclude that his rights were violated. Only two Council members think that rights of Lekovic were violated.

The general director said that the decision to abolish the disciplinary procedure on Lekovic is on him, and he said that he would talk with Leković and Ćirović.

“I will try to get out of the situation with conversation, but we must not treat any failure, if we do not sanction it. If a failure is made, those responsible will be punished”, said Sundic.

24.04.2019. – On April 23, 1999, just after 2 am, NATO bombs hit the heart of the state RTS television, killing 16 people on duty after the Alliance decided that a media house was the legitimate military target for the first time.

The families of the murdered RTS employees still ask – why it had to happen, blaming both NATO and the then Serbia’s authorities. NATO for killing them, the authorities for not moving them out of the main RTS building.

The speculations of a possible bombing of the RTS circulated days before it happened. The then Information Minister and the current President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic used to take foreign and local reporters to the RTS for several nights ahead of bombing to show defiance.

The then RTS director Dragoljub Milanovic was almost lynched after late Serbia’s strongman Slobodan Milosevic was dethroned in 2000, and two years later Milanovic was sentenced to 10 years in jail for leaving the employees at the main building though many, including foreign reporters with sources within NATO, were saying the bombing was inevitable.

Human Rights Watch said in 2000 that there was no excuse for NATO action, but the Alliance said the attack was justified because of the RTS, as they called it, inflammatory propaganda.

Actually, the bombs fell days after an RTS journalist told NATO that “we are here,” adding the exact address of the building which was later hit.

The Hague special commission which investigated the bombing did not suggest to the prosecutors to launch criminal proceedings.

RTS was back on the air some six hours after the bombing from an alternative location.

On Monday, Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic described the attack “a barbaric act which the countries talking about freedom of the media today should be ashamed of.”

„Twenty years ago, many of the people lecturing us about freedom of the media (today), ruthlessly launched missiles against one of the media from a safe distance,“ she said adding: „Unfortunately the people who ordered the bombing of the RTS building will never be brought to trial“.

Near the reconstructed RTS main building at the Tasmajdan Park, there is a monument with the inscription “WHY?” and the names of all killed in the attack. Their families, friends and colleagues gather every April 23 to lay flowers in memory of media people who died at their workplace.