BEOGRAD, 12.12.2018. – Već mesec dana traje kampanja Ilustrovane Politike, savetnika glavnog urednika Gorana Kozića i spoljnog saradnika Đorđa Martića, kojom se optuženi u slučaju ubistva Slavka Ćuruvije unapred proglašavaju nevinima, sa tvrdnjom da protiv njih nema dovoljno dokaza, što bi valjda značilo da bi sud trebalo da oslobodi optužene.

ZAJEČAR, 11.12.2018. – Nakon pisanja naše readakcije kojim smo ukazali na kreiranje atmosfere linča od strane gradonačelnika Zaječara i njegovih pristalica, o čemu više možete pročitati OVDE, usledila je reakcija gradonačelnika.

U svom prepoznatljivom maniru, uvredljivom, zlonamernom i sugestivnom, o kome smo već pisali pre nekoliko meseci OVDE, gradonačelnik Zaječara je, iako u uvijenoj formi, ipak više nego jasno i nedvosmisleno, izneo uvrede i pretnje na račun našeg kolege Miljka Stojanovića.

Smatrajući da je govor mržnje gradonačelnika prevršio svaku meru, kao i da je objavom o „lovu zeca“ upućen poziv na linč našeg kolege, nakon konsultacija i razgovora došli smo do zaključka da je neophodno da se nadležnim organima skrene pažnja na ponašanje i atmosferu linča koja je stvorena.

U tom smislu naš kolega Miljko Stojanović danas je podneo prijavu Policijskoj upravi u Zaječaru, kako bi se zaštitio i kako bi nadležnim organima skrenuo pažnju na atmosferu linča koja je stvorena, kao i na lica koja su tome najviše doprinela.

Pozivamo nadležne organe da nepristrasno, u skladu sa zakonima postupe po podnetoj prijavi.

„Retardirana veverica“, „ćelavi berebek“, „smrda umišljenović“, „uštirkanko“, „preskakač kozlića“, „šipkoljubac“, „krmoglava lepotica“ uvrede koje su po svojoj prirodi krajnje zlonamerne, formulisane u cilju izazivanja podsmeha od strane šire javnosti.

Takvim uvredama u proteklim mesecima gradonačelnik se koristi, bez pardona, kako bi omalovažio svakoga ko se drzne da ima vlastito mišljenje, drugačije od onoga koje on zastupa.

Ovim putem najoštrije osuđujemo ponašanje gradonačelnika Zaječara, čiji je način izražavanja i obraćanja neistomišljenicima sraman i, iznad svega, opasan.

PODGORICA, 11.12.2018. – During the “Week of Pride”, dedicated to the promotion of the rights of LGBTIQ people, Montenegrin television broadcasted 15 articles in news programs in total duration of 31 minutes, according to an analysis of the Agency for Electronic Media of Montenegro.

The Agency analyzed the central informative programs broadcast in the period of celebrating “Week of Pride” (November 12-18) at seven Montenegrin television stations: TVCG1, TV Vijesti, TV Prva, TV Nova M, TV A1, TV 777 and Srpska TV.

“Bearing in mind that in the observed period there was no negative reporting, and that among the observed television stations there were almost no differences or dissonances with respect to the reporting framework, the basic problem of reporting on the mentioned topic is the lack of information and relatively superficial reporting limited to informative, but neglected the educational and, in the wider context of social inclusion of LGBTIQ persons, the reformer role of the media”, it is stated in the analysis.

Almost two thirds of the information was published on the very day of the Pride Parade, while the other days the number of published information was very small. With the exception of the day of the Parade, when this was the leading news, other information and articles were published in the last third of the news releases. The articles were dominantly informative, with the adequate possibility of members of the LGBTIQ community and non-governmental organizations dealing with the protection of their rights to send a message.

Observing by broadcasters, TV Vijesti had the most published information, while Srpska TV had no information related to the maintenance of the Parade.

“Comparing data collected during the Pride Parade 2014, for the week during which the Parade was held (28.10 – 03.11.2014), for five television stations, the average amount of articles and information published in 2018 in the central information programs were four times fewer. When analyzing and comparing the above data, it’s important to bear in mind that the security aspect of the 2014 Pride Parade is significantly different compared to today”, the analysis says.

Sarajevo, 6.12.2018.-The Employee Council of TVSA employees in the context of current events relating to the performance of the BiH cartoonist Filipa Andronika in the show Dore vibracije, and the unpleasant consequences the Employee Council  has the need to make a statement to express its attitude. We openly support freedom of expression, artistic freedom, as well as journalistic and editorial liberties for the choice of TVSA’s and TV’s guests as public broadcasters funded by our fellow citizens. From the responsibility to the viewers above all, we express our commitment to openly fight for the responsibility of the publicly spoken word. It is inadmissible on the basis of personal interpretation of any artwork, to be condemned nor expressed to public lynch. Television Sarajevo and its employees (Employee Council) do not want to be a space for political accumulation based, we repeat, on the assumptions. Freedom of artistic expression, as well as freedom of the media in this way is once again uncompromisingly compromised.

Given that some colleagues from TVSA who have participated in the show in any way are suffering from discomfort, some are exposed to media lynch, and what is worst, after visiting our program and the reactions of the Management Board of JP TVSA, a caricaturist Filip Andronik and our colleague Enisa Skenderagić received threatening messages. The TVSA Employee Council appeals to the relevant officials to respond to their mandates. If a failure is also made, we remind you that any possible irregularities remain the possibility of filing with the Regulatory Agency for Communications, whose task it is to assess and determine it. Please note that, as the Council of Employees, we will protect our colleagues who are exposed to various pressures. Over the past period, the unprofessionalism of individual persons in managerial and editorial positions in TVSA has done many major and serious injuries, and has not responded to it.

We strongly condemn the political pressures and the impact on the professional and ethical reporting that TVSA has been experiencing almost daily, as well as political abuse of leading positions on TVSA. The TVSA Employee Council will not tolerate any political abuse of this or potential future cases. We are looking for and struggling to ultimately become a public broadcaster who respects all professional and ethical standards and is only responsible to fellow citizens and legislative bodies. The Council of Employees at the same time condemns the numerous examples of self-censorship and unprofessionalism that we have witnessed for years, and we have created these intentions in November this year. The Council of Employees as a newly established body within the  public enterprise. We will not allow censorship, restriction of media freedom and freedom of expression. Valuable and honorable people, journalists with many years of experience, work in our TV outlet,are ready to preserve the dignity of TVSA and the profession, and to fulfill their basic role, which is to serve the citizens of Canton Sarajevo.

Sarajevo, 6.12.2018.- Steering committee of BH Journalists Association strongly condemns the violation of Freedom of Expression and act of censorship on the Cantonal television Sarajevo (TVSA), whoch followed after the show „Dobre vibracije“ (“Good vibrations”) where the cartoon strip cartoon and cartoonist Philip Andronicus where published. Steering committee of BH Journalists Association cosiders that the PR of the The Supervisory Board and the Administration of TVSA and the prompt reaction of the Politcal Party Stranka demokratske akcije – SDA is an illegal political interference in  work of public media and editorial independence, and one of the worst examples of violations of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights,

Steering committee of BHJA calls journalists and editors of TVSA to jointly oppose to censorship and to defend the independence and integrity of the profession, that is seriously disturbed by many years through political interference in creating media content and the work of this television. TVSA is a public television, paid with public money and with the assignment to work in the interence of all citizens of Canton Sarajevo, and not just the party SDA or any other ruling political party in this area.

At the same time, Steering committee of BHJA invites MUP of Canton Sarajevo to diligently investigate death threats towards the artist Philip Andronic, and to file a criminal complaint against persons endangering his personal safety and free work.

SARAJEVO, 10.12.2018.-If freedom of expression should represent the fundamentals principles of democracy for its development, it seems that the same fundamentals principles in Bosnia and Herzegovina obviously malfunction. The basic right to freedom of expression should be guaranteed to every single individual, but it appears that this right is hardest and most difficult to be applied, implemented and practiced with journalists because they have constantly been deprived of this right in many different ways at many different levels.

Depriving journalist of their fundamental rights is perhaps best demonstrated by certain individuals, institutions or particular interest – based groups and lobbies, that cannot accept direct critics addressed and directed against them, so, therefore, they do not hesitate to apply pre-checked methods in order to reply and respond to these critics; they consequently put pressure on journalists, threaten journalists, blackmail them, press charges against journalists, ignore their enquires, emails etc.

Freedom of expression, at least as far as media scene in East Herzegovina is concerned, almost does not exist in reality and practice. Many fail the test concerning the right to freedom of expression, regarding the rights of East Herzegovina journalists and their investigative and survey stories that concern the general public. Those journalists that “dare” to do that (investigative and survey journalism), encounter obstacles almost everywhere and are deprived of their fundamental rights to free expression. Although limited in numbers, there are few media houses I this particular region that manages to work under such hard and obstructive conditions.

They somehow do manage to prevail with their work and sustain in the media field, only because of the work conducted by few responsible individuals who still believe and are convinced that their occupation is an honest job and trade and they should accordingly act in that direction. In Trebinje alone, there are around 20 media and self – proclaimed media houses. Legal disorder, as far as the online media sphere is concerned, enables almost everyone to set up their own private media online house and publish or post information based on their own will and desire, so one could, observing this particular market as a neutral person standing aside, conclude that freedom of expression, at least to some extent, does exist in reality.

However, according to information posted on the internet, the information posted by various local websites are almost identical, so once again, one could conclude that media pluralism does not necessarily mean pluralism of different ideas, attitudes, opinions, and views, at least as far as certain public events, venues or affairs are concerned.

Unified providing of information has come as a result and consequence of the emerging of limited journalism freedoms, where auto-censorship and self-censorship also emerged as an inevitable occurrence. If a journalist does not bound to auto-censorship, powerful centers (that do not agree with certain and specific media contents and programs), usually ignore these media houses along with their representatives, they impose them with pressure, or direct open threats against them and eventually, they press charges against such media houses and their representatives.

Media houses consequently find very hard to support court proceedings in terms of finances, because most of these media houses have already been financially exhausted. During the mission of limiting the freedom of expression, the easiest way would be ignoring the Law on Free Access to Information and its provisions, and state and public institutions have indeed mastered this practice. The manager of one of many public companies in Trebinje, had perhaps best illustrated the relationship between institutions and powerful figures, towards the Law on Free Access to Information; namely, once we asked him to explain why he had refused or rejected to provide us with particular information in accordance with the law, his response and reply really spoke for itself:

”The law exists so we could eventually disobey it and break it”, he responded!

Breaking the law is something that happens often and something that Mrs. Jelena Denda Borjan, a female journalist working for the “Direkt” (local website) is very familiar with. For the period of last two months, enquires regarding free access to information, sent or e-mailed by “Direkt” journalists, were completely and easily ignored by public institution officials. Although the law enables and allows any citizen to require and demand information being under the control official authorities, Trebinje City Council officials, also, after being enquired by “Direkt” website journalists, responded by demanding the “Direkt” officials that, in order to reply to their questions and enquires, they (“Direkt” website people), must submit an official registration form for this media house and only after they have received it , they “may consider responding and replying to “Direkt” enquires, but only upon request”.

“We did send our enquires typed on our official memo letter and we also send a company registration number under which the “Direkt” website works and operates, but even after this, and even after the explanation that the law enabled and allowed every citizen to have access to information, there were no positive results. Recently, even the director of the local radio station refused to provide us with certain information although he has been employing journalists himself. Getting information, apart from this law, is almost impossible, because when you press charges against for failing to provide you with information, the path to justice is very long, due to lazy work by judiciary institutions, so very few people actually decide to press charges in order to receive required and necessary information”, claims Mrs. Denda – Borjan, emphasizing that journalists working in smaller communities are particularly working under exceptional pressure.

Although we act professionally, we display and highlight the facts inadequate, honest, appropriate and transparent way and we do invite our collocutors; still, we get many verbal threats and court charges etc. Often, politicians, being subject to our posts or stories, openly outline and emphasize that they know members of our families, relatives etc, and imposing a thus subtle way of pressure against us. It is necessary to improve the work conducted by judiciary institutions at all levels, so all individuals that we ask to provide us with specific information, could have in mind or take into serious consideration, that they might be financially fined and punished, should they fail in allowing us to have free access to information.

Also, it would be additionally encouraging to impose monetary fines directly against an individual, that is, a person who would fail to provide information and ignore the provisions of the law on Free Access to Information, because it would again force these persons to become more conscious as far as information provided is concerned, claimed Mrs. Denda – Borjan. Marija Manojlovic, a female journalist from Trebinje, also outlined that the trend of limitations and reducing of journalists freedoms is undergoing, as far as local media houses are concerned.

“Journalists right to freedom of expression, but also a fair and responsible relationship towards journalism, as a professional occupation, has been questioned and has become subject to dilemma and disputes. Politicians allow themselves to prepare and edit news programs, including commercial advertisers and other interest-based groups, and unfortunately, they are often completely allowed to do this. Journalists, in their fight for their own existence often forget or ignore fundamental principles upon which journalism, as a professional occupation, is based. Those that dare to refuse censorship or even reject auto-censorship, take a great risk, and are often being put under a lot of pressure; they also often get direct threats, they are often assaulted and consequently put their jobs at stake”, Mrs. Manojlovic said.

She emphasized that the biggest problem for journalists is if the other side decides to ignore the request for having free access to information. “Public institutions and authorities shall not express their concerns and shall not worry, once they receive unusual and embarrassing questions to their address; they will simply ignore the provisions of the law on Free Access to Information. This is very simple”, she concluded.

An illustrative example of the fight against the limitations of freedom of expression in media scene in BiH was presented by the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) because they won nine court cases against the institutions whose officials failed to provide the required information.

This text is a part of E-Bulletin–the third edition of the special serial of BHJ online bulletin implemented as part of the following project: Reinforcing Judicial Expertise on Freedom of Expression and the Media in South-East Europe (JUFREX).