PODGORICA, 24.01.2018. – The new Media Law is necessary for Montenegro, because the existing one is largely outdated, but it must be supported by the media community – it was concluded at a press conference of media organizations that, on the occasion of the Day of Montenegrin Journalist, discussed on the Draft of the Media Law which is on public hearing.

The new Media Law is necessary for Montenegro, because the existing one is largely outdated, but it must be supported by the media community – it was concluded at a press conference of media organizations that, on the occasion of the Day of Montenegrin Journalist, discussed on the Draft of the Media Law which is on public hearing.

Journalists were addressed by representatives of the Montenegro Media Institute, Media Center, the Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro, Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG) and the Center for Investigative Journalism.

“The Draft of Media Law must be supplemented with amendments that will reduce the influence of the media owners on newsrooms and journalists and allow them to work freely in the public interest, and not only to the border where public interest is contrary to the interests of media owners. Trade Union of Media of Montenegro has been insisting on this for a year now, and this is a recommendation from the analysis of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, as well as the OSCE experts, which the Working Group completely ignored”, said SMCG president Marijana Camovic.

She pointed out that it is necessary to oblige the media to have a statute or a certain rule-book that will define the editorial policy of the media, the attitude of the owners, the editor and the journalist, as well as the manner of appointment and dismissal of the editor-in-chief, and that decision should be made consulting employees.

„We have proposed, which also did not pass, the introduction of a „clause of conscience” to which the editor-in-chief, editors and journalists could call on and resign and receive a fair compensation in the case of a change in editorial policy with which they disagree“, said Camović clarifying that the proposed measures should lead to a reduction in censorship and self-censorship that is evident.

Slavoljub Scekic, editor-in-chief of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN CG), believes that if certain proposed solutions regarding the protection of journalistic sources were adopted, journalists would be able to find themselves in a similar situation as member of parliament Nebojša Medojević. Šćekić pointed out that the Draft on Media Law also envisaged the establishment of a media fund, but considers it as an attempt to satisfy the international factor.

“I am not sure how this would function in practice, except as a means of manipulation with one media and punishing other media,” he said.

According to the secretary general of the Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPNCG), Mila Radulovic, who was a member of the Working Group for drafting this law, the Working group showed willingness to open some issues, but the final result was not satisfactory.

PODGORICA, 23.01.2018. – Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), on the occasion of Day of Journalists of Montenegro, announce a competition for the best student’s story on the labor rights of media employees in Montenegro.

Students of journalism, media studies and journalism and communication and media from state and private universities in Montenegro have the right to participate, along with providing proof of student stutus (certificate from the faculty) and the name of the department.

The decision on the best work will be made by a three-member expert jury composed of representatives of the SMCG, the European Federation of Journalists and the journalist community.

Winning work will be rewarded with 200 euros and published on the website of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG).

Papers can be submitted to e-mail [email protected] no later than March 1, 2019. Applications received after the deadline or incomplete will not be considered.

The competition is realized with the financial support of the European Union and UNESCO.

Photo: www.360gsp.com/

PARIS, 23.01.2019. – After a wide-ranging discussion with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the presidential palace in Belgrade yesterday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expects positive changes for press freedom in the biggest Balkan country, which aspires to join the European Union.

The discussion between President Vucic and RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire, which lasted 90 minutes and took place in the presence of the head of RSF’s EU and Balkans desk, Pauline Adès-Mevel, was direct and concrete, and covered all aspects of media freedom, including journalists’ safety, editorial independence and journalistic ethics.

RSF voiced its concern about the safety of investigative journalists six weeks after reporter Milan Jovanovic’s home was destroyed in an arson attack. Three persons are now detained on suspicion of throwing the Molotov cocktails that started the fire, which could have killed Jovanovic and his wife.

RSF has seen a decline in the press freedom climate in Serbia, which fell 10 places in the latest World Press Freedom Index and is now ranked 76th out of 180 countries.

When RSF urged Vucic to appreciate the gravity of the many verbal and physical attacks on journalists and to respond appropriately, he provided specific information about some of the police investigations currently under way and recognized the need to shed light on several murders of journalists in the 1990s and the 2000s.

RSF also deplored the lack of independence of many Serbian media outlets, especially the pro-government media, and the arbitrary way that state advertising its allocated. Describing Serbia’s media as polarized, which he said he regretted, Vucic denied the discretionary nature of state subsidies for the media.

“We know that we must change something,” he nonetheless acknowledged, especially as regards the level of defamation and insults in the media. RSF regrets that, despite satisfactory media legislation, Vucic has failed to propose measures to ensure that the laws are implemented effectively.

Insisting on his commitment to press freedom despite the many criticisms levelled against him, Vucic requested the help of RSF’s expertise in improving the situation of the media as regards regulatory issues. He said he was ready to provide RSF with all relevant documents so that it could verify the way that state subsidies are allocated to the media. In the end, he provided documents about the “Media Strategy,” a new government initiative that is supposed to encourage media development.

After consultation with international organizations such as the OSCE, these documents were handed to the prime minister on 27 December and could be submitted to parliament at the end of February, according to a source close to the president, who said he had not read them himself because his priority was the country’s economy.

“We think that that the Serbian president uses the excessive and abusive accusations published in certain, often secondary, news outlets to divert attention from the reality of his influence, or his party’s influence, over some of the biggest media, especially TV broadcasters,” Deloire said.

“As Vucic readily recognizes the errors of the past and is proposing an opening, we think it is right to take note of his verbal undertakings. We nonetheless believe that the defence of journalism requires concrete measures. Instead of criticizing the media, the president must demonstrate the sincerity of his discourse by means of concrete measures. His professions of sincerity are too often belied by the behaviour of members of his political entourage and by their control over certain media.”

RSF is pleased to note that, in the statement issued by the president’s office after yesterday’s meeting, the president affirms his support for the principles of the International Declaration on Information and Democracy that was issued last November by an independent commission formed at RSF’s initiative.

The Serbian statement says: “Serbia supports the principles of this Declaration and we believe that its signing would also contribute to improving both the media situation and the overall democratic processes in our society.”

RSF will draft proposals for improving the independence and the quality of journalism in Serbia.

BELGRADE, 22.o1.2019. – The news that Serbian President Vucic will speak at the panel “Media Freedom in Crisis” at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos sounds unreal, but also cynical and utterly hypocritical, announced the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia and Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina.

The president of Serbia will spend the next three days in Davos, and as the media reported, it is announced that he will be a guest speaker at the panel “Media Freedom in Crisis”.

That the safety of journalists and media freedom in Serbia is in a constant, growing crisis is undisputed. IJAS and IJAV think that the President Aleksandar Vucic bears the most responsibility for such situation and, therefore, has no moral right to share advice or recommendations regarding media freedoms on an international conference. This is known to journalists and media organizations, and the whole media community in Serbia, but also to international organizations and institutions.

The most recent confirmation of such position was given by the representatives of the international organization Reporter Without Borders. After a meeting with the President of Serbia that took place on 21.01.2019, Pauline Adès-Mével, the head of RFS Balkans and EU desk, stated that RSF initiated a meeting due to a deteriorating atmosphere and the safety of journalists after the attack on journalist Milan Jovanovic was emphasised. Adès-Mével added: “We are not convinced that he is fully taking this case into consideration.”

On January 29 IJAS will present its annual report on pressures and attacks against journalists in 2018. The report points out a trend of the uncertainty regarding the position of media professionals and the decline in media freedom in Serbia. To what extent is the current ruling party accountable for such situation is reflected in the fact that in the last three years IJAS recorded 81 cases of pressure, attack, insult and discrimination of journalists by public officials.

In 2018 IJAS recorded 30 incidents against journalists.

Belgrade, 22.01.2019.

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia

Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina

PODGORICA, 22.01.2018. – Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG) states that in the previous year there was no progress in any segment of the economic position of the employees in the Montenegrin media nor the conditions of work have been improved in any way.

Salaries received by our colleagues are still below the national average and insufficient for a normal and decent life. SMCG is the only organization warning on that while media sector employers do not want to talk about it and even terminated social dialogue. We remind that employers unilaterally decided to suspend negotiations on the new Branch Collective Agreement initiated by SMCG in 2016. In this way, there is an additional worsening of environment in which media employees work.

The situation has further deteriorated also in a part of local public broadcasters, and now, for example, in Radio Ulcinj, where employees are owed 15 wages and taxes and contributions for at least three years, slowly turns into agony. As a solution, local authorities proposed the establishment of television. Other municipalities are also moving towards irrational foundation of televisions without public debates and analysis, although they can’t provide even normal funding for existing radio broadcasters. In Berane, where eight salaries are owed to employees, they have given up that idea for the time being, but in Herceg Novi, that idea is still ongoing, and there is a possibility of endangering Radio that is now functioning normally. Therefore, we urge the Government to start working on amendments to the Law on Electronic Media as soon as possible in order to ensure the financial sustainability of the local public broadcasters for which the SMCG has been actively campaigning for a long time.

2018. was marked by the worst case of attacks on journalists in the last few years – the shooting on Olivera Lakic.  This case are still unsolved and with the flow of time becoming increasingly difficult to find the perpertrator. Therefore, we suspect that, despite the great pressure and alleged care of the institutions of the system, this case will remain unsolved.

The latest verdict that investigative journalist Jovo Martinovic was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the criminal offense of creating a criminal organization and unauthorized production, possession and trafficking of narcotic drugs, shows that the pressure on journalists continues in a new form.

BELGRADE, 22.01.2018. – Officials from the Reporters Without Borders organization met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to discuss the worsening atmosphere in the country and the safety of journalists, the head of that organization’s Balkans and EU desk Pauline Ades-Mevel told N1 after the meeting.

She said they were there to discuss safety after the recent attacks on Zig Info portal journalist Milan Jovanovic who reported on alleged corruption in the local authorities. “We are not convinced that he is fully taking this case into consideration,” she said.

She recalled that Serbia has fallen 10 places on the World Press Freedom Index for 2018, which, she added, is one of the worst results in the region. Ades-Mevel said the cause of the drop in ranking was, most probably, the number of verbal assaults and hate speech directed at journalists. “We condemn the fact that there were son many verbal assaults and threats on social networks and tabloids,” she said adding that the Serbian president insisted that the situation was no worse than in other countries in the region.

“Reporters Without Borders came to Belgrade to meet the president and raise certain questions about the atmosphere which we believe is deteriorating. One of the issues we discussed was the safety of journalists and the fact that some journalists, especially after the attack on Milan Jovanovic, are saying that the situation is not good and that they are scared,” she said.

Ades-Mevel said they told the Serbian president that it is important to end the practice of impunity and hold masterminds to account so that journalists can feel safe.

“We welcome the president’s willingness to admit that the situation in Serbia is not ideal but we do not share that view,” she said and expressed the hope that their discussion with Vucic would be followed by concrete action.