Slavko Curuvija Foundation: Pink TV fails to meet obligations, REM fails to react

07/11/2023

Pink TV has failed to fulfill 16 out of the 23 analyzed promises contained in its program concept, based on which the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) renewed its national broadcasting license a little over a year ago, show the results of an analysis carried out by the Slavko Curuvija Foundation.

In the program concept that it had submitted, Pink TV said it would have fewer reality programs, while the REM report of May this year shows that the share of this genre in the program broadcast by this television station is double the share presented in the program concept, said the Slavko Curuvija Foundation.

Moreover, the total share of reality shows in the Pink TV program went up from 34 percent annually for the period 2014-2020, to 46 percent in the first quarter of 2023, that is, after the license renewal.

On the other hand, REM itself measured in permille the mandatory quality programs (children’s, documentary, scientific and educational, cultural and artistic) broadcast by Pink TV, despite the fact that Pink TV promised in its program concept that these would make up 20 percent of its total broadcast programs, which is also an obligation under the law.

The other obligations that Pink TV failed to fulfill include a change in the program structure, broadcasting programs for the hearing-impaired, foreign documentary series, new foreign entertainment formats, more films on the weekends, cultural and artistic diary, cartoons…

“Even though television stations’ program concepts are an integral part of the broadcasting licenses, and it is the REM’s obligation to monitor their fulfillment, this body failed to react to the continuous non-compliance with the program concept. Instead, in its report for the period October 2022 – March 2023, the REM stated that there were no violations of laws and regulations and that Pink fulfills all its obligations,” said the Foundation.

United Kingdom: First Anti-SLAPP law adopted

IJAS

06/11/2023

United Kingdom photo canva — photo: canva

On 26 October 2023, the United Kingdom passed legislation in the British Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, including provisions to fight Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP). Considered a “landmark moment” by the UK’s Anti-SLAPP Coalition, the adoption of the new measures will guarantee to protect journalists reporting on financial crime and corruption. However, the coalition is calling for a stand-alone anti-SLAPP bill to give equal protection to all those who speak out in the public interest.

Under the Act, which aims to implement reforms to tackle economic crime and improve transparency over corporate entities, the UK will allow courts to dismiss SLAPPs brought against the journalists who cover financial crime and corruption. This means that judges can reject claims before a trial, if they assess it “is or is intended to have the effect of restraining” the right to freedom of speech, or “is intended to cause the defendant harassment, alarm, distress, expense, or any other harm or inconvenience” beyond the normal course of litigation.

These measures are an important step in the defence of freedom of expression and investigative journalism, as SLAPPs are used to intimidate journalists, drain their resources and silence them.

As the Anti-SLAPP coalition pointed out, the UK is “haven” for defamation suits. British courts are often used including by foreigners to bring journalists to court, and by powerful people to shut down investigative reporting in the public interest. An international survey conducted by the Foreign Policy Center in 2020m and quoted in The Guardian showed that journalists reporting about financial crime outside of the UK face as many threats of court action in England as they do in all other European countries and the US combined. Access to UK lawyers is also extremely costly, with a trial costing up to half a million pounds for each of the involved parties.

While welcoming the new measures, the Anti-SLAPP coalition acknowledged that the law falls short of providing universal protection from SLAPPs.

Charlie Holt, European Lead for Global Climate Legal Defence (CliDef) said: “The passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill is a welcome first step towards anti-SLAPP protection in the UK. But it is just this: a first step. The new law offers a promising framework for tackling the problem, but is undermined by an excessively restrictive definition of SLAPP – one that, by requiring the court to identify the intent of the filer, introduces an unnecessary element of uncertainty into the process.”

Dalia Nasreddin, UK Campaigns Manager at English PEN insisted that SLAPPs are not only related to economic crime and can relate to any context, such as journalists exposing warlords and survivors of sexual abuse recounting their experience. “It is therefore essential that a standalone anti-SLAPP legislation is promptly introduced,” she stated, while Jessica Ní Mhainín, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Index on Censorship, said that “it is crucial that the passing of these amendments is seen as a stepping stone to addressing SLAPPs – rather than as the end result.”

Ministry report says Telekom Serbia proposed disputed parts of media laws

IJAS

04/11/2023

1657211057-telekom-e1657211078532-750x421-1 — photo: N1

The state-owned Telekom Serbia proposed the disputed articles of two recently adopted media laws, a report on the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications portal said.

The disputed articles of the laws were removed from the drafts under pressure at home and from abroad.

According to the ministry report, Telekom Serbia proposed changes to the article of the law would allow the regulatory body to define the list of channels on electronic media and set the prices of media services. The report adds that both proposed articles were rejected.

The government amended an article of its draft laws to force cable operators to include the state TVs and private TV stations with national frequencies in their offer at prices set by the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) and would not allow operators to remove those channels. The government also included an article which reserved the first two places on the list of channels for the public broadcaster followed by the pro-regime Pink, Prva, B92 and Happy stations. Those changes to the drafts were made without informing members of the Working Group that drafted the laws.

Those disputed articles were removed following government consultations with the OSCE Mission but the articles that allow Telekom ownership of media outlets were left in the draft even though that runs counter to the national Media Strategy.

AJM and BPPO: Greater institutional protection of media workers

AJM

03/11/2023

On November 2nd, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office (BPPO), in cooperation with the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) appointed three new special public prosecutors for the Tetovo, Bitola, and Stip appeal areas. On that occasion, an event was organized where more than 30 journalists and media workers were presented with the results, the impressions of the cooperation so far, as well as the new initiatives that are being undertaken in the direction of promoting cooperation between the guild associations and the prosecutor’s office.

The event’s theme was “New contact points in basic public prosecutor’s offices for greater protection and ending impunity for crimes against journalists and media workers.” A panel discussion was held in which the president of AJM, Mladen Chadikovski, the president of SSNM, Pavle Belovski, and Iskra Hadji Vasileva, the public prosecutor appointed to monitor the actions related to the safety of journalists under the jurisdiction of the Skopje Public Prosecutor’s Office, participated. Dragan Sekulovski, the executive director of AJM, and Biljana Arsovska, the spokesperson of the RSM Public Prosecutor’s Office, also contributed to the discussion.

In his address, the president of AJM recalled a large number of unsolved cases of attacks on journalists the need for their immediate resolution, especially the cases of April 27: “Journalists face a series of challenges, including physical violence, harassment, threats, and legal action, all of which can lead to self-censorship and the decline of investigative journalism. Today, we are reminded of the injustice done to us, the forgotten and unresolved court cases, and the SLAPP lawsuits that are more prevalent. All the unsolved attacks on journalists on April 27 the wiretapping of journalists, the year started with public disparagement and underestimation of journalists by politicians… The list of unsolved cases is long, but our demands and expectations are even greater. Our symbol of impunity is April 27th; let’s not let it happen again” – said Chadikovski.

The president of SSNM, Pavle Belovski, emphasized that “November 2nd is a defining day when we remember how many of us are victims of violence. The purpose of this day, through this debate, is to revisit the context of why the number of attacks is not only decreasing but the violence and crimes against us are intensifying. But it is still an honor to be at this table where we have the prosecutor’s office as a partner because six years ago, I personally physically attacked the Ministry of the Interior in the absence of the changes in the criminal law by which an attack on a journalist is treated as an attack on an official, my the assailant was then prosecuted for misdemeanor offenses, i.e., disturbance of public order and peace. Since then, our fight for these changes, through which we expect to achieve the goal, has not stopped. Our imperative is zero attacks on journalists due to the fasting of criminal responsibility, which will contribute to the eradication of this type of violence and raise awareness in the public discourse that the attack on journalists is not an attack on the person but an attack on democracy and an attack on the public interest,” emphasized Belovski.

The prosecutor, Iskra Hadji Vasileva, referred to the past year and the activities that the Skopje Public Prosecutor’s Office had concerning the topic: “After I was appointed as the contact person for monitoring cases related to the safety of journalists under the jurisdiction of the Skopje Public Prosecutor’s Office, it is good that we can say that we don’t have many subjects when it comes to statistics. But we know that statistics should not be understood easily without in-depth methodological analyses; in any case, the numbers, specifically for our country, are not bad this year. I am encouraged by the fact that we also have new colleagues who we officially presented today from which prosecutor’s offices they come from, namely the prosecutor’s offices from Tetovo, Bitola, and Shtip. This represents a step forward in this fight and this commitment that the prosecutor’s office shows when protecting journalists,” said the prosecutor.

The event aimed to send a loud message to the public that attacks on journalists will not be tolerated and will be severely condemned. On the other hand, a message will be sent to the institutions to act responsibly and clear up the attacks on journalists as soon as possible. This event will be a good opportunity and forum where journalists and prosecutors can exchange ideas and information to improve cooperation between these professions.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists – November 2nd, has been recognized by the United Nations. This day is marked to draw attention to the issue of impunity, which refers to the failure to bring perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers to justice.

Europe: End impunity for crimes against journalists

IJAS

03/11/2023

Media-Freedom-Rapid-Response-MFRR-p6tjl8zuay97zmo6pz53jlzufipc5m30701yhxjhb8 — slika: MFRR

Access to reliable information that journalists provide civil society is the lifeblood of a resilient democracy, where a robust system of checks and balances thrives. Impunity for the killings of journalists diminishes the rule of law and press freedom. As today we mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, we want to pay a special tribute to those reporters in Europe whose families still await justice for their murders. They were threatened, targeted and murdered for challenging the powerful and corrupt. We call on the states to redouble their political will to tackle impunity.

When Greek veteran crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz was shot dead in Athens in 2021, the authorities committed to prioritising the case and bringing all perpetrators to justice. Yet, for two long years, there was no significant progress. While the arrest in April 2023 of two suspects marks an important step towards accountability, the case remains in a state of impunity as potential middlemen and masterminds have not been apprehended and no convictions have been delivered. Justice can only be served when all those directly and indirectly involved in planning and executing the assassination are held responsible for their actions, without exceptions.

Karaivaz was gunned down in front of his house in broad daylight sending a clear and chilling message to all reporters in Greece who hold power to account by exposing inconvenient truths. The abhorrent murder and the repeated failure to conduct a swift and thorough investigation is in part a consequence of inaction in the case of the 2010 murder of journalist Sokratis Giolias and came amidst numerous unresolved cases of threats and attacks against journalists. This worrying pattern ultimately underscores that despite declarations, the state continues to fall short of ensuring the safety of journalists with no concrete measures taken to improve the situation let alone secure justice. The recent MFRR mission to Greece, during which the delegation met with both journalists and public officials, further confirmed the stark erosion of media freedom in the country. We renewed our call for the authorities to dedicate additional resources and staff to the cases of violence against journalists and recognise their special nature to finally guarantee prompt, independent and efficient investigations.

The murder of investigative reporter Ján Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kušnírová in 2018 sparked the biggest nationwide protest since the Velvet Revolution in 1989. The public’s rage subsequently translated into a vibrant quest for change and eventually toppled Robert Fico’s government. Kuciak, who was ruthlessly shot in his own home, reported on corruption, tax fraud and shady connections between businesses and oligarchs close to Fico’s SMER party. Five years on, Fico is back as Prime Minister for the 4th time, while the families of Kuciak and Kušnírová still await full justice.

From the start, the process has been marked by allegations of political meddling in the police investigation. While the culprits who executed and facilitated the murder have since been prosecuted and sentenced to 25 years in prison, the suspected mastermind has continued to evade accountability. Businessman Marian Kočner was acquitted in a retrial in May 2023, a decision that the MFRR strongly condemned at the time stressing the massive setback for the protracted fight against impunity for Kuciak and Kušnírová’s murder. The verdict arrived amidst a resurgence of verbal attacks on Slovakian journalists, with top politicians launching smear campaigns that continue to go unaddressed. Before the September election, the SMER party disseminated at least 174 posts targeting journalists on social media which raises further concerns about whether the newly appointed government will rise to the occasion to tackle the climate of impunity and hostility against journalists. The MFRR delegation visited Bratislava in February 2023 to commemorate Kuciak and Kušnírová on the fifth anniversary of their murder and to reaffirm our steadfast support for the victims’ families. We reiterated the call for the authorities to provide law enforcement with all necessary means to bring justice for the crimes against journalists and to strengthen punishment for attacks against journalists targeted for their work.

The glaring illustration of how a total absence of political will perpetuates ongoing impunity has been bluntly demonstrated in the case of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who was killed in a car bomb in October 2016. Incessant pressure from Daphne’s family and civil society groups resulted in the creation of an independent public inquiry to establish the circumstances that led to the journalist’s death. The final report published in 2021 found the state had to ‘shoulder responsibility’ for Caruana Galizia’s murder as it had created an ‘atmosphere of impunity’ and failed to take effective measures to protect her. The key findings included detailed recommendations on how to enhance the safety of journalists and restore the rule of law so that assassinations like that of Daphne could never happen again. Though in 2022, the hitmen were handed down harsh prison sentences, the masterminds still remain free.

Though the report provided a historic opportunity for the Maltese government to create an enabling environment for independent journalists, and despite the repeated calls from the international community, the authorities remain reluctant to implement these vital safeguards. Civil society was not consulted in the production of draft media lawswhich resemble token gestures that do not offer robust and systemic reforms that are urgently needed. In addition, Malta consistently fails to address corruption and crime exposed by Caruana Galizia and other investigative journalists who operate in a high-risk environment. Daphne Caruana Galizia’s hard-hitting investigations into dirty money scandals, organized crime, and high-level government corruption earned her the nickname a ‘one-woman WikiLeaks’ – and in turn put a target on her back. Daphne was vilified, harassed and singled out as a public enemy. At the time of her death, she was facing 48 SLAPP cases.

While the EU is still perceived as one of the safest places for journalists, year by year the various attacks are on the rise, with the most tragic examples being the assassinations of journalists. The vicious cycle of impunity tarnishes the press freedom and rule of law reputation of the authorities responsible. EU member states must genuinely engage in fulfilling their international obligations to safeguard media freedom including by redoubling their efforts and strengthening the political will to tackle impunity. In addition, they should fully implement the European Commission’s recommendation on journalists’ safety and report on their progress transparently.

It is imperative to confront impunity for crimes committed against journalists to uphold the principles of free expression and support resilient civil society. Daphne Caruana Galizia, Giorgos Karaivaz and Jan Kuciak were brutally killed for their dedication to investigating and exposing crime, corruption, and other abuses of power that affect our communities. The assassination of a journalist seldom occurs in isolation. Instead, it is often preceded by consistent attempts to denigrate journalists and paint them as traitors to turn the public hostile towards them. We must collectively try harder to neuter and challenge vicious narratives aimed at decreasing trust in independent journalism.

United Media will not broadcast political advertising in its media, out of protest

IJAS

03/11/2023

United Media informs the public that it has passed a decision under which the media outlets operating within United Media will not broadcast or publish political advertising during the coming election campaign in Serbia.

In the election campaign in Serbia all media outlets within United Media will report, as they have so far, professionally and upholding the highest standards of journalism. They will remain committed to presenting diverse opinions, to the culture of dialogue and to providing all sides participating in the elections with the opportunity to present their platform and views.

The decision against broadcasting political advertising is a form of protest by United Media against the overall situation on the Serbian media scene and threats against our journalists and editors who are targeted, on a daily basis, by the ruling coalition officials and pro-regime media. The media operated by United Media do not wish to broadcast election campaign advertisements of the ruling options’ representatives in Serbia. In order to avoid potential accusations of discrimination in the election campaign program, we will not be broadcasting political advertisements of any of the political options.

In recent years, journalists of the media outlets within the United Media group have been continuously labeled and attacked by pro-government media, the highest state officials, pro-government citizens’ associations and nominally independent regulators. They have been called “lie factories,” “rapists,” “propaganda”, “quasi-journalistic, quasi-political and quasi-democratic scourges,”, “fascist and tycoon media,” and “pro-Kurti media.” They have been accused of generating violence in Serbian society by critical reporting on events in Serbia, of robbing and killing the state, inciting civil war and propagating hatred, creating a sick atmosphere. They have been attacked physically and verbally, arrested or threatened with arrest. They have been told a gun would be held to their head, that they would be killed like rats, hanged, burned, impaled, that they would end up like Charlie Hebdo journalists, whose tragic murder shocked the world.

The largest state-owned companies have said that the aim of their actions is to “put an end to the United Media operations in Serbia.” At the requests to decide on an orderly application for a national broadcasting license within the prescribed deadline, in a fair and transparent procedure, the relevant authority publicly said: “no can do.”

These ruthless campaigns, which threaten the safety of our employees, are either tacitly or explicitly condoned by the officials of the government or relevant institutions, who have remained silent to the requests to act in accordance with their duties. This is why Serbia’s ranking on all relevant media freedom lists is among the lowest in Europe.

All media outlets within the United Media family insist on independent, professional and accurate reporting, in line with the best international standards. It will be especially important to us if, following years of boycotting our media outlets, in this campaign government officials get to stand before our journalists and enable the Serbian citizens to recall what it is like when they are asked questions for which they have no pre-prepared answers.

United Media is the leading media company in South East Europe, which broadcasts 55 television channels in eight countries, along with a large number of portals, print media, radio stations and other similar media activities.

Operating within United Media in Serbia are N1, Nova and Danas.

Impunity is on the rise in Europe: governments must take action

IJAS

03/11/2023

candle-2038736_1920-pbjstvhogf2cdkf8dac83otu2a01yrpj43f9x1p0f8 — Foto: Pixabay

While the number of journalists killed has fallen sharply in Europe compared to last year, the number of cases of impunity for murder continues to rise. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) currently counts 48 unpunished crimes in 13 countries. To mark International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on November 2, 2023, the EFJ calls states to take concrete action to end impunity for these crimes.

48 murders and assassinations of journalists go unpunished in Europe: 16 in Kosovo, 7 in Russia, 6 in Ukraine, 6 in Turkey, 3 in Serbia, 2 in Greece, 2 in Azerbaijan, 1 in Slovakia, 1 in Malta, 1 in the United Kingdom, 1 in Cyprus, 1 in Montenegro and 1 in Belarus.

To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, on 2 November, six cases of impunity were added to the European impunity list:

Aleh Byabenin (Belarus), founder of the Minsk-based pro-opposition news website Charter 97, who was found hanged in his summer house outside Minsk, on 3 September 2010. Authorities claimed the journalist had committed suicide. Eyewitnesses who went to the scene of the incident reported several inconsistencies, claimed that there were traces of violence on his body, and that it appeared the police had conducted only a cursory investigation at the scene.

Slavko Curuvija (Serbia), owner of the Dnevni Telegraf and the magazine Evropljanin, who was killed by two gunmen who fired several bullets into his back and head outside his home in Belgrade, on 11 April 1999. There is still no final verdict, 24 years after the assassination. In April 2023, two Serbian State Security officers on trial for participating in the murder of Slavko Curuvija were released from house arrest after six years.

Sokratis Giolias (Greece), director of the news broadcaster Thema Radio and contributor to the news website Troktiko, who was shot on 19 July 2010 by unidentified men in police uniforms. The killers lured Giolias out of his apartment in Athens, early in the morning, claiming his car was being stolen, and shot him several times. Over a decade later, Giolias’ murder remains unsolved, and perpetrators and masterminds have not been brought to justice.

Giorgos Karaivaz (Greece), was an experienced reporter who worked for the TV channel STAR and ran a news website focusing on crime and policing. On 9 April 2021, he was gunned down outside his home in broad daylight by two men on a scooter. The Greek authorities promised to prioritise the case. Despite the arrest of two suspects in April 2023, those responsible have not yet stood trial, there have been no convictions, and no additional progress has been made since, including in identifying possible middlemen or masterminds behind this killing.

Milan Pantić (Serbia), a correspondent at the daily newspaper Vecernje Novosti, was killed by unknown assailants after being struck on the head with a blunt object outside his home in the city of Jagodina in central Serbia, on 11 June 2001. 22 years after the killing, no one has been prosecuted and convicted and those responsible continue to evade justice.

Yuri Shchekochikhin (Russia), then deputy editor of the independent Moscow twice-weekly Novaya Gazeta, died 12 days after being hospitalized in a Moscow clinic with what doctors said was an acute allergic reaction. He died suddenly on 3 July 2003 a few days before his scheduled departure to the United States, where he planned to meet with FBI investigators. His medical documents were either lost or destroyed by authorities. The EFJ believes the journalist was poisoned to prevent him from further uncovering the truth about a high-level corruption case involving officials from the Federal Security Services (FSB) and the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Almost eight years after the adoption of the Council of Europe’s Recommendation on the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists, the 46 member states have been slow to put in place a comprehensive legislative framework able to prevent impunity and to afford journalists a broad and effective scope of protection.

“The EFJ reminds the member states of the Council of Europe of their commitment to establish special judicial or non-judicial inquiries into specific cases or independent specialised bodies to conduct such inquiries on an ongoing basis,” said EFJ President Maja Sever. “We demand that this procedure be established for each of the 48 cases of impunity identified in Europe. Inaction by the public authorities would be tantamount to complicity with the killers”.

Cases of impunity for murder in Europe:

Đuro Slavuj (Kosovo, 1998)
Ranko Perenić (Kosovo, 1998)
Afrim Maliqi (Kosovo, 1998)
Ismail Bërbatovci (Kosovo, 1998)
Gabriel Grüner (Kosovo, 1999)
Volker Krämer (Kosovo, 1999)
Enver Maloku (Kosovo, 1999)
Ljubomir Knežević (Kosovo, 1999)
Aleksandar Simović (Kosovo, 1999)
Krist Gegaj (Kosovo, 1999)
Momir Stokuća (Kosovo, 1999)
Marjan Melonaši (Kosovo, 2000)
Shefki Popova (Kosovo, 2000)
Xhemajl Mustafa (Kosovo, 2000)
Bekim Kastrati (Kosovo, 2001)
Bardhyl Ajeti (Kosovo, 2005)
Yuri Shchekochikhin (Russia, 2003)
Anna Politkovskaya (Russia, 2006)
Gadzhimurad Kamalov (Russia, 2011)
Akhmednabi Akhmednabiyev (Russia, 2013)
Mikhail Beketov (Russia, 2013)
Nikolai Potapov (Russia, 2013)
Timur Kuashev (Russia, 2014)
Georgiy Gongadze (Ukraine, 2000)
Pavel Sheremet (Ukraine, 2000)
Oleksandr Kuchynsky (Ukraine, 2014)
Viacheslav Veremii (Ukraine, 2014)
Andrea Rocchelli (Ukraine, 2014)
Andrei Mironov (Ukraine, 2014)
Uğur Mumcu (Turkey, 1993)
Hrant Dink (Turkey, 2007)
Naji Jerf (Turkey, 2015)
Rohat Aktaş (Turkey, 2016)
Saaed Karimian (Turkey, 2017)
Jamal Khashoggi (Turkey, 2018)
Dada Vujasinovic (Serbia, 1994)
Slavko Curuvija (Serbia, 1999)
Milan Pantić (Serbia, 2001)
Sokratis Giolias (Greece, 2010)
Giorgos Karaivaz (Greece, 2021)
Elmar Huseynov (Azerbaijan, 2005)
Rafiq Tagi (Azerbaijan, 2011)
Kutlu Adalı (Cyprus, 1996)
Martin O’Hagan (United Kingdom, 2001)
Dusko Jovanovic (Montenegro, 2004)
Aleh Byabenin (Belarus, 2010)
Daphne Caruana Galizia (Malta, 2017)
Jan Kuciak (Slovakia, 2018)

BIRODI Executive Director: No normal electoral conditions without free media

IJAS

03/11/2023

Bureau for Social Research (BIRODI) Executive Director Zoran Gavrilovic said that there are no normal electoral conditions without free media.

Gavrilovic told Insider TV that the dominant topics on television stations with national coverage are those that suit the political parties in power, while only cable television stations offer diversity.

“If the media do not inform, if they don’t raise questions, analyze, and if there are no questions that are to help the voters decide who they will vote for, in line with their interests, then we have propaganda,” said Gavrilovic.

Comparing the current situation with that prior to the 2022 elections, he said there is practically no difference.

“In the 2012 election campaign we had the Democratic Party and the Serbian Progressive Party, thay had almost equal air time. We had two presidential candidates, who were more or less equally represented, with the same percentage of positive representation. And we had a kind of competition. Today we have one man, with 90 percent of positive representation and a sidelined opposition,” said Gavrilovic.

IJAS: Municipality of Preshevo to announce a call for proposals for media content production

IJAS

03/11/2023

The media from Preshevo are on the verge of survival because the mayor Shqiprim Arifi does not want to conduct a competition for the co-financing of media projects for three years. He addresses the citizens through Facebook or the Pristina media, and he says that he does not need the local media. IJAS condemns this treatment of Preshevo officials to the media and calls on the local officials to stop discriminating against the media and announce a competition for co-financing media projects in accordance with the law.

Five media from Preševo: Blic Preševo, Ministry of News, RTV Preševo, Preševa com and Medija index released an announcement last week stating that local media in Preševo are discriminated against and financially threatened.

“The media image, the economic position of the media and the economic standard of media workers in the municipality of Preshevo are more than catastrophic these days. The media is literally in financial despair, and we, the employees are seriously worried about our existence”, they stated in the announcement.

As they say, the president of the municipality Shqiprim Arifi said that he does not need local media, and he informs citizens through social media Facebook and Pristina media.

Citizens need local independent media in order to be accurately and timely informed about all happenings in the local community, not only about the activities of municipal officials. We believe that the president of the municipality of Preshevo Shqiprim Arifi is aware of that.

We would like to point out that the new Law on Public Information and Media foresees an obligation for local governments to allocate funds from the budget for media and announce a call for proposals for the co-financing of media projects.

That’s why we call on the president of the municipality of Preshevo Shqiprim Arifi to stop discriminating against the local media from Preshevo and start responding to their calls because it is in the interest of the public. Also, we call on the local government to announce a call for proposals for co-financing of media projects as soon as possible and fulfill the legal obligation.

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia

November 1st, 2023

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