BELGRADE, 18.04.2019. – Serbia has dropped 14 places on the 2019 World Press Freedom Index and now ranks 90th on the list of 180 countries, the Reporters Without Borders global media watchdog said on Thursday.

The authors of the report warned that Serbia is not safe for journalists. “Within five years of President Aleksandar Vucic in effect governing the country, Serbia has become a place where practicing journalism is neither safe nor supported by the state,” the report said and warned of a rise in attacks on the media.

“The number of attacks on media is on the rise, including death threats, and inflammatory rhetoric targeting journalists is increasingly coming from the governing officials. Many attempts on journalists’ integrity have not been investigated, solved, or punished, and the aggressive smear campaigns that pro-government media orchestrate against investigative reporters are in the full swing,” it said.

The report noted the arson attack on the home of investigative journalist Milan Jovanovic in a Belgrade suburb following his reports on corruption at local level.

Reporters Without Borders said that “some courageous journalists continue to cover dangerous subjects such as crime and corruption, but because of media ownership concentration, their stories are usually with a limited reach”.

“Collusion between politicians and media, widespread government-tolerated fake news, and a lack of pluralism in the print and broadcast media are also all sources of a big concern,” the report said.

ARAČINOVO, 18.04.2019. – Regionalna platforma za zagovaranje medijskih sloboda i bezbednost novinara koja zastupa više od 8.000 članova snažno osuđuje napad i verbalne prijetnje novinaru i snimatelju TV21 u Severnoj Makedoniji, od strane bliskih rođaka gradonačelnika Aračinova Milikije Halimi iz političke stranke Socijaldemokratski savez Makedonije.

Juče, nakon što je ekipa TV21 snimila lošu infrastrukturu i pritužbe stanovnika ove opštine, rodbina gradonačelnika Halimija uputila je verbalne prijetnje televizijskoj ekipi da će im slomiti kamere i zatražiti brisanje njihovih snimaka. Nakon što su novinari odbili da obrišu snimke, bili su primorani da uđu u opštinsku zgradu Aračinova i ponovo su se suočili sa istim prijetnjama.

Oni su odbili po drugi put da izbrišu snimljen materijal, a onda se incident nastavio u prostorijama TV21, gde su ista lica prijetila novinarima i glavnom uredniku da ne objavljuju ništa. Istovremeno, policajci su stigli u TV21, nakon čega su osobe koje su prijetile novinarima napustile televiziju, a novinar i snimatelj dali su izjave u policijskoj stanici.

Takvo nasilno i primitivno ponašanje, posebno od osoba bliskih političarima, neprihvatljivo je i predstavlja napad na slobodu informisanja. Štaviše, predstavlja klasičnu opstrukciju rada novinara.

Kasnije istog dana, gradonačelnik Halimi osudio je napad u pismu upućenom Udruženju novinara Makedonije, rekavši da zahtjeva hitnu i efikasnu istragu od strane Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova.

Regionalna platforma podržava AJM u njenim naporima da zaštiti novinare i slobodu govora i poziva relevantne vlasti da hitno istraže slučaj, dovedu počinioce pred lice pravde i adekvatno ih sankcionišu.

Svaki napad na novinare je napad na javni interes, demokratiju i prava svih građana.

Skoplje – Beograd – Podgorica – Priština – Sarajevo – Zagreb

Udruženje BH novinari

Sindikat medija Crne Gore

Hrvatsko novinarsko društvo

Udruženje novinara Kosova

Udruženje novinara Makedonije

Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije

BELGRADE, 15.04.2019. – The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) blasted the national Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) for attacking investigative journalists.

A NUNS statement said that the REM has not been doing its job for years and has been releasing statements attacking journalists and the media, the latest two of which were directed against the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CINS.

According to NUNS, the accusation that the CINS falsified a program analysis report could be viewed as pressure on journalists to force them to reveal their sources which is against the law.

CINS journalists asked the REM for the report several times but got no reply, the statement said, adding that CINS informed the public that the REM expert services are not breaking the law even though the REM Council often ignores the law on electronic media and its own rules.

STRAZBUR, 15.04.2019.- EU mijenja pravni okvir za autorska prava kako bi ga prilagodio potrebama današnjeg digitalnog okruženja. Vijeće je danas donijelo direktivu kojom se modernizira postojeće zakonodavstvo EU-a o autorskom pravu kako bi se pripremio teren za istinsko jedinstveno digitalno tržište. Novim pravilima osigurava se odgovarajuća zaštita autorâ i umjetnikâ, a istodobno se otvaraju nove mogućnosti za internetski pristup sadržaju zaštićenom autorskim pravom i njegovo dijeljenje diljem Europske unije.

“Vrlo sam zadovoljan što smo izradili uravnoteženi tekst kojim se stvaraju brojne mogućnosti za kreativne sektore u Europi, koji će napredovati i u kojima će se bolje odražavati naša kulturna raznolikost i druge europske zajedničke vrijednosti, kao i za korisnike čija će se sloboda izražavanja na internetu konsolidirati. Ovo je ključna etapa u razvoju čvrstog i funkcionalnog jedinstvenog digitalnog tržišta”- kaže Valer Daniel Breaz, rumunjski ministar kulture i nacionalnog identiteta.

Direktivom je obuhvaćen niz pitanja koja se mogu podijeliti u tri kategorije:

A) prilagodba iznimaka od autorskih prava i njihovih ograničenja digitalnom i prekograničnom okruženju
direktivom se uvode obvezne iznimke od autorskih prava za potrebe rudarenja teksta i podataka, aktivnosti nastave na internetu te očuvanja i širenja kulturne baštine putem interneta.

B) poboljšanje prakse licenciranja radi osiguravanja šireg pristupa kreativnom sadržaju
direktivom se utvrđuju usklađena pravila kojima se olakšava:

• iskorištavanje djela koja se više ne komercijaliziraju (nedostupna djela)
• izdavanje kolektivnih licencija s proširenim učinkom i
• stjecanje prava za filmove na platformama za video na zahtjev.

C) postizanje tržišta za autorska prava koje dobro funkcionira
direktivom se uvodi novo pravo izdavačâ informativnih publikacija za internetsku uporabu njihovih publikacija. Autori djela uvrštenih u informativnu publikaciju imat će pravo na dio prihoda izdavača informativnih publikacija koji se ostvaruje tim novim pravom.

Kad je riječ o platformama za razmjenu sadržaja na internetu koje se temelje na modelu sadržaja koji su učitali korisnici, direktivom se pojašnjava pravni okvir unutar kojega one djeluju. Takve će platforme u načelu morati dobiti licenciju za djela zaštićena autorskim pravom koja su učitali korisnici, osim ako je udovoljen niz uvjeta navedenih u direktivi. Nositelji prava stoga će moći bolje pregovarati o uvjetima iskorištavanja svojih djela na internetu te će od tih platformi dobivati naknadu za internetsku uporabu svojih sadržaja. Direktivom se istodobno korisnicima omogućuje slobodno stvaranje i učitavanje sadržaja u svrhu citiranja, kritike, osvrta, karikature, parodije i pastiša. U tu svrhu navedene iznimke, koje su trenutačno neobvezne za države članice, postaju obvezne iznimke za ovu posebnu vrstu uporabe.

U direktivi je sadržano i pravo autorâ i izvođačâ na primjerenu i razmjernu naknadu na temelju licenciranja ili prijenosa njihovih prava te se uvodi obveza transparentnosti u pogledu iskorištavanja licenciranih djela, kao i mehanizam za prilagodbu naknade, zajedno s namjenskim mehanizmom alternativnog rješavanja sporova. Programeri su isključeni iz ovih pravila.

Sljedeći koraci

Nakon potpisivanja direktive i njezina objavljivanja u Službenom listu EU-a države članice imat će 24 mjeseca za prenošenje novih pravila u svoja nacionalna prava.

• Cjeloviti tekst donesene direktive
• Pročitajte više o jedinstvenom digitalnom tržištu

SKOPJE, 12.04.2019 – A section of cameramen within the Association of Journalists of Macedonia was formed. The purpose of the establishment of this section is to improve the work conditions of the cameramen, as well as to improve the cooperation between the cameramen and the institutions. The section consists of professional cameramen from all TV stations in North Macedonia, including those working in the Macedonian Radio Television.

The president of AJM Mladen Chadikovski welcomed this initiative and said that he would support the cameramen in all their demands. “By uniting the cameramen in the AJM section, we create conditions for improving their work environment, their protection, everywhere, on the field, in the institutions or outside of them. The cameramen are an added value and an essential element of journalistic research, and we expect through this section to influence for better communication within the editorial offices, among cameramen, journalists and editors,”said Chadikovski.

At the meeting, three main conclusions or guidelines were adopted by which the section of the cameramen would function. It was agreed to prepare a rule book for the cameramen, as well as for the representatives of the institutions working on the protocol on the topic of professional follow-up of events, local and international practices and legal aspects. Then it was agreed to hold meetings with representatives of the courts, prosecutors’ offices and ministries, in order to improve the conditions for the work of the cameramen. The cameramen also asked to work on improving the cooperation between cameramen and journalists through organization of joint networking events and other capacity building activities.

It was also discussed about expanding this section in the future by including other fellow cameramen, especially those working in the interior of the country in regional and local TV stations.

During the yesterday’s meeting, Slave Stojanovski was elected as chairman of the section, while Trajche Ilievski and Zoran Dogov were elected to be part of the management which will work on the activities of this section. One representative of each TV station that broadcast at national level in the country will also join the leadership of the section.

Recently, within the AJM, a section of sports journalists was formed, and in the next period AJM, as part of the electoral assembly’s promises, will continue to form similar sections in order to facilitate the work of various groups of journalists and media workers.

SARAJEVO, 11.04.2019.-Political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina need to implement reforms that move BiH toward European standards and democratic norms.  Instead, the Embassies of the United States, Germany, the UK, and the Office of the High Representative see recent rhetoric and initiatives in the Republika Srpska (RS) as moving away from these standards, despite the government’s stated commitment to European integration. 

Freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and freedom of the media are fundamental elements of a healthy, functional democracy, and are essential to holding governments and leaders accountable. Opposition voices, civil society organizations, media outlets, and peaceful protests like those of the Pravda za Davida movement should not be viewed as a security threat.  Legislative changes that empower authorities to censor individuals, groups, or the media, or that criminalize the free exercise of official duty, only serve to undermine democracy.

We strongly support today’s statement of EUSR/EU Delegation expressing concern about the draft amendments to the RS Law on Public Peace and Order.  The RS MUP has submitted the draft Law on Public Gatherings to international community experts for a legal review and comments; it should do the same with the proposed amendments to the Law on Public Order and Peace.

Without changes to bring them in line with international standards and best practices, both laws could be used to inappropriately limit basic freedoms. The drafts place unnecessary restrictions on public gatherings and limit the media’s ability to report on important events; they also carry excessively harsh penalties for non-compliance. We call on all levels of government in BiH to uphold and respect the obligations they undertook by signing onto specific EU and UN international conventions on human rights.