PRISTINA, 11.11.2017 – Association of Journalists of Kosovo condemn the verbal threat against BIRN journalist, Taulant Osmani that occurred in city centre.
Osmani was threatened, insulted and there was attempt of attack by several persons while he was covering the protest called by civil society in Gjilan against the removal of statue of “Falling Soldier” from the WWII.
“As a journalist I was covering the divisive society related to this problem. I started to film the debate among them, and an individual reacted harshly, he rushes against me and asked why am I filming? In that moment, another two persons interfered who were pushing me, cursing me and grabbed my phone”, Osmani said, Kallxo.com reported.
AJK asks from relevant institutions to investigate the case as soon as possible. AJK learns that a suspect of attack is arrested and was put under 48 hours arrest.
TIRANA, 10.11.2017 – Evropska unija (EU) ne treba da bije naše bitke, već samo da nam ne odmaže u naporima da se izborimo za slobodu medija u Srbiji, izjavila je danas predstavnica Grupe za slobodu medija, novinarka Tamara Skrozza na završnom panelu konferencije Medijski dani Zapadnog Balkana, kojem je prisustvovao i evropski komesar za proširenje Johanes Han.
Ona je pozvala predstavnike EU da se vrate vrednostima na kojima se temelji Unija i da „učine da ponovo poverujemo u njihove poruke da je sloboda medija prioritet u procesu evropskih integracija“.Uprkos informacijama koje EU ima o stanju u medijima, ona otvoreno podržava politiku odgovornu za ovu situaciju, ukazala je Skrozza i ocenila da njeni predstavnici daju izjave koje dobro zvuče, ali koje ili ne odgovaraju istini ili ne znače ništa.
Skrozza je apelovala na zvaničnike EU da iskoriste svoj uticaj u pregovaračkom procesu i spreče dalje urušavanje medijske scene i uslova za rad medija.
Vlast koristi sve legalne, ilegalne, poznate i nepoznate metode za ekonomski, politički i fizički pritisak na medije, „kako bi nas iscrpeli, istrošili, učinili poslušnim ili nevidljivim“, predočila je Skrozza.
Novinari iz Srbije, koji su prisutni na ovoj konferenciji, istakla je Skrozza, „jesu odgovorni, profesionalni i proaktivni, njih ne treba podsećati da budu takvi“.
Ona je apelovala na predstavnike EU da ne daju ekskluzivne intervjue medijma „koji su sredstvo propagande i sramota svih nas“, kao i da u svoje izveštaje uključe podatke koje dobijaju od evropskih eksperata na terenu.
„Mi se borimo, ne za rečenice koje dobro zvuče, već za opstanak profesije i sopstveni opstanak“, zaključila je Skrozza.
BEOGRAD, 10.11.2017. – Ne stišavaju se reakcije na snimanje novinara i snimatelja N1 na zadatku. Predstavnici novinarskih udruženja saglasni su da potez funkcionerke SO Voždovac, iako ne krši zakon, predstavlja novi vid pritiska na novinare. Ipak, N1 se i ranije suočavala sa sličnim situacijama i problemima.
Ovako šefica voždovačkog pres službe objašnjava svoje postupke: Primetila sam ljude koji su bili neprijatni prema građanima. Nisam znala o kome je reč, niti da su u pitanju novinari, ajoš manje koje medijske kuće, pošto danas svako ima kameru i snima. Niti sam krila gde radim, niti sam imal zlu nameru, već želju da u nekom momentu postavim pitanje ko ima pravo tako da se ophodi prema građanima i da vidim o kome je reč.
Gotovo nijedna tvrdnja iz reakcije zaposlene u opštini Voždovac nije tačna, osim dela koji se odnosi na činjenicu da snimanjem novinara na zadatku zakon nije prekršen.
Ipak, zbog atmosfere u kojoj struka funkcioniše, snimanje novinara u NUNS-u tumače kao “nadziranje novinarskog izveštavanja”. Kažu – odgovornost je na Aleksandru Vučiću.
“Ne znam kako bi se čovek koji stvara taj ambijent u kome je dozvoljeno vršiti pritisak na medije, kako bi se lično osećao kada bi prilog počinjao sa ‘Aleksandar Vučić, predsednik Srbije i najbolji đak Vojislava Šešelja’, jer to je istina, kao što je istina da ste vi američka televizija, ali to nije i ne bi smelo da bude u fokusu, već način na koji obavljate svoj posao”, kaže predsednik NUNS-a Slaviša Lekić.
U UNS-u smatraju da se novinari moraju navići da i oni mogu biti snimani, ali dodaju da je obrazloženje iz opštine – neuverljivo i cinično. Sumnjaju da se ne radi samo o zastrašivanju novinara, već i sagovornika.
“Mislim da je u pitanju nova tehnologija vlasti kako da zastraši i kako da obesmisli rad novinara i kako da im onemogući da rade svoj posao. Imali smo pre par dana i ona dešavanja u Skupštini grada, kada su odbornici vladajuće stranke obesmislili pres konferenciju opozicionog odbornika, jednostavno pronalaze nove tehnologije kako da nas rad obesmisle”, kaže Petar Jeremić iz UNS-a.
Za medijske stručnjake okupljene u “Grupi za slobodu medija”, ponašanje šefice odseka za informisanje voždovačke opštine je na ivici zakona.
“Oni nemaju pravo da preuzmu ulogu medija, jer se zna ko koga treba da kontroliše”, kaže Maja Stojanović iz “Grupe za slobodu medija”.
“SNS pokušava u svakom trenu da predstavlja javnost. Mediji su ti koji predstavljaju javnost, građani ove zemlje smo javnost. Državni funkcioneri, pa i funkcionerka koja je snimala novinare je neko na položaju i u državnom organu, i ono što su oni uradili je pritisak na javnost”, rekla je Stojanović.
U prethodnim slučajevima video snimci naših novinara koji razgovaraju sa građanima postavljani su na društvene mreže, insinuirajući da su u pitanju orginalni izveštaji N1. Na taj način stvarana je lažna slika o tome šta jeste emitovano u našem programu.
TIRANA, 09.11.2017. – “To kako živimo je u potpunoj suprotnosti sa onim što čujemo u obraćanjima zvaničnika EU”
Branko Čečen, direktor Centra za istraživačko novinarstvo Srbije (CINS), rekao je danas gostujući na konferenciji o medijima na Zapadnom Balkanu, koja se održava u Tirani, da Evropska unija mora da pruži veću podršku borbi za slobodu medija.
“Govorim u ime preko 130 organizacija, slobodnih, nezavisnih i profesionalnih medija koji su morali da se udruže i oforme Grupu za slobodu medija zato što se osećaju očajno” rekao je Čečen.
On je istakao drastičnu razliku između javnog viđenja demokratskog napretka Srbije iz ugla Evropske komisije i realnosti u kojoj Vlada marginalizuje i ugrožava nezavisno novinarstvo.
U znak podrške, tokom Čečenovog govora, desetine kolega iz Srbije i pojedine kolege iz regiona ustali su za vreme obraćanja obučeni u majice na kojima piše #EUdomore i #ForMediaFreedom.
Čečen je najavio da će se grupa uskoro sastati sa premijerkom Srbije, Anom Brnabić, i zatražio pomoć Evropske unije u postizanju dogovora sa Vladom.
“EU zvaničnici bi mogli s vremena na vreme da posete i nezavisne novinare i da ako nađu da je to što mi radimo demokratski i evropski, pruže nam javnu podršku, a ne samo Vladi Srbije”, rekao je Čečen.
Čečen se u ime Grupe za slobodu medija obratio panelu koji je deo regionalne konferencije “Dani medija EU-Zapadni Balkan: Ojačavanje medija na Zapadnom Balkanu”.
Preko 250 predstavnika medija i medijskih organizacija, političara i zainteresovanih strana sa zapadnog Balkana prisustvuje medijskoj konferenciji u Tirani koja je posvećena bitnoj ulozi medija u procesu pridruživanja Evropskoj uniji.
Johanes Han, Evropski komesar za susedsku politiku i politiku proširenja, na uvodnom obraćanju u Tirani rekao je da je sloboda izražavanja fundamentalna vrednost Evropske unije i da to nije uslov koji je stvar dogovora, za bilo koju zemlju koja želi da pristupi EU.
“Podrška i zaštita slobode medija je još važnija kada uzmemo u obzir da su se uslovi za nezavisno i istraživačko novinarstvo drastično pogoršali širom sveta. EU je takođe pogođena, što smo videli skorašnjim brutalnim ubistvom malteške novinarke Daphne Caruana Galizia“, rekao je Han.
U videu ispod možete pogledati obraćanje Branka Čečena, ispred Grupe za slobodu medija.
TIRANA, 10.11.2017. – Representatives of the informal Group for Media Freedomfrom Serbia, which gathers journalists’ and media associations and civil society organizations, asked from the EU today in Tirana to support free, professional and responsible journalism in Serbia and cease to neglect its desperate status.
On behalf of the Group, Branko Čečen, director of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia, addressed the participants of the conference EU Western Balkan Media Days, focused on the important role of the media in the EU accession process and organized by DG NEAR.
During Čečen’s address, the Group members stood up wearing black t-shirts featuring message #EUdoMore #ForMediaFreedom.
Čečen said that the EU must offer greater support in the fight for media freedom.
“I speak on behalf of more than 130 organizations, free, independent and professional media that had to unite and form the Group for Media Freedom because they feel desperate”, Čečen said.
He stressed a drastic difference between the public perception of Serbia’s democratic progress viewed from the European Commission angle and the reality where the Government marginalizes and threatens independent journalism.
Čečen announced the forthcoming meeting of the Group with the Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić and asked the European Union for help in reaching an agreement with the Government.
“EU officials could occasionally visit independent journalists and if they find our work to be democratic and European they could publicly support us instead of supporting the Serbian Government only“, Čečen said.
The action of the Group for Media Freedom and Čečen’s appeal to the EU were met with an applause by the conference participants – 250 journalists, editors and representatives of journalists’ and media associations and civil society organizations of the Western Balkan states.
In solidarity with the media problems in Serbia, the Group members were joined by participants from other countries in the region wearing t-shirts with the same message #EUdoMore #ForMediaFreedom.
Video of Branko Čečen addressing the conference on behalf of the Group for Media Freedom:
Slobodan Georgiev, journalist of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), said that media and journalists in Serbia need “greater and clearer support” of the European Commission.
“Our problem is not business model but the lack of freedom and rule of law and that must be reiterated”, Georgiev said holding a t-shirt with the message #EUdoMore #ForMediaFreedom.
Journalists noted that there are different standards of the EU when it comes to reaction to violence against media and pressures on media in the Western Balkan region compared to other parts of Europe.
As an example, they referred to the recent murder of the influential Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and the strong reaction from Brussels whose representatives attended her funeral.
The Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and the European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn opened the two day conference in Tirana.
In his opening speech, Hahn said that freedom of expression is a fundamental value of the European Union and that it is not a negotiable condition for any country wishing to join the EU. The European Commission continuously monitors challenges that the Western Balkan media face, Hahn said.
“Cases of violence and intimidation have always been a cause of our concern and the lack of progress in this domain will be subject of our attention. The European Commission will insist on doing away with the practice of impunity“, Hahn noted.
Hahn opined that the politicians in the candidate countries are responsible for media freedoms, as well as for the safety of journalists and decent conditions for their work, but he also stressed that the media are responsible themselves for „critical, responsible and professional reporting“.
Tirana, 09.11.2017.-EU & Western Balkans Media Days in Tirana gathered politicians, activists and journalists at a two-day conference dedicated to the media.
A group of journalists from Serbia and the region asked for stronger support from the European Union and greater protection of journalists recently in the country, especially under pressure from the government for investigative stories. In a kind of protest, they stood up during a regional conference, “Western Balkans Media Days”, held in Tirana, wearing black t-shirts, which read: “It looks like there’s no free media” and “#StopMediaMacedonia”, as well as the inscription “#EUdoMore”.
Branko Čečen, director of the Center for Investigative Reporting of Serbia, said that the media in Serbia had already come to a desperate situation where independent and professional journalism was marginalized and then the authorities began to shake off certain local media. In agreement with the group “For Freedom of the Media” that was gathered earlier in Serbia, Chechen sought public support from the EU during a conference in Tirana.
“The EU can do much to help, that’s right, and I really expect the EU assistance, but when we tell them what that assistance should be, it would be very helpful for us to be aware of what the EU can do in the framework of its powers, if it comes to her, I expect Serbian journalists and citizens of Serbia to do it if they want independent journalism. ”
Zeljko Ivanovic, director of Montenegro’s Vijesti, said a that it was scandalous that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke about media credibility at opening the conference in Tirana and compared him with other politicians from the region.
“It would be the same for you to have Vucic here, or to have Djukanovic here, or to have a Trump,” Ivanovic said, adding that editors such as his, or numerous colleagues in Albania, speak to the editorial meetings on the credibility of their sources three times a day, each day. Such a way of criticizing media is similar to those that contributed to the murder of a research journalist in Malta last month.
Brankica Petkovic from the Peace Institute from Slovenia added that freedom of media should be fought for instead of waiting for another murder.
A conference in Tirana, Western Balkans Media Days, gathered several hundred journalists, representatives of institutions, analysts, political and media activists and media experts, on a two-day set of panels and workshops dedicated to media freedom, new directions in the media, digitalization and new financing models, as well as the needs of journalists.
Johannes Hahn, EU Enlargement Commissioner, said at the opening that he hoped that the new conference, which represents the continuation of the three Speak Up conferences, will be more concrete and fruitful in terms of contributing to solving the problems that the media face. “There is no negotiation about media freedom,” Hahn said.
SKOPJE, 10.11.2017 – Three days ago, organized by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and the US Embassy in Macedonia, a lecture was held on the topic “The role of the media in the development of the public image of the whistle-blowers”.
The President of AJM, Naser Selmani addressed the event and thanked the United States of America for being a great supporter of the Association for the protection and promotion of freedom of speech in Macedonia and welcomed the speaker Tom Devine, an international expert, for protecting the whistle-blowers.
“We agree that now is the moment in Macedonia to open all issues related to the freedom of speech and the quality of democracy. The issue of whistle-blowers is one of those important issues,” Selmani said.
He stressed that the law must undergo changes and begin to be properly implemented. He added: “Since 2016, Macedonia has a law on whistle-blowing, which is not in accordance with international standards. And even as bad as it is, it is not implemented properly because the system is afraid of transparency and accountability.”
The Director of Legal Affairs at the Washington Government Accountability Project, Tom Devine, thinks that significant legal changes are needed and the establishment of an appropriate structure for it to start delivering results. “Appropriate training must be provided for the employees, their supervisors and the judges who would deal with such cases. And the most important thing is to make a public campaign, that is, to get the whole population acquainted with the law and the protection that it offers,”he stressed.
TIRANA, 09.11.2017. – Representatives of the informal Group for Media Freedom, which brings together journalists, media associations and civil society organizations in Serbia called on the European Union (EU) to support free, professional and responsible journalism in Serbia and not to ignore the desperate situation in journalism.
During a panel on the role of media in the process of European Integration organised within the Media Days of the Western Balkans, Branko Cecen, Director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism of Serbia addressed the panellists on behalf of the Group for Media Freedom, while other members stood in black T-shirts with the message “EU Do More”.
As a sign of solidarity with the colleagues from Serbia, participants of the conference from the countries of the region joined the action, standing up wearing the same t-shirts.
The action of Group for Media Freedom and the Cecen’s appeal to the EU was greeted by the applause of the participants of the event, which brought together 250 journalists, editors and representatives of journalists and media associations and civil society organizations in the Western Balkan
TIRANA, 09.11.2017. – Predstavnici neformalne Grupe za slobodu medija, koja okuplja novinarska, medijska udruženja i organizacije civilnog društva, danas su u Tirani pozvali Evropsku uniju (EU) da podrži slobodno, profesionalno i odgovorno novinarstvo u Srbiji i ne zanemaruje očajan položaj u kojem se ono nalazi.
Učesnicima panela o ulozi medija u procesu evropskih integracija, koji je održan u okviru Medijskih dana Zapadnog Balkana, u ime Grupe iz publike se obratio direktor Centra za istraživačko novinarstvo Branko Čečen, dok su ostali članovi stajali u crnim majicama sa porukom “EU učini više”.
U znak solidarnosti sa problemima medija u Srbiji, njima se, stajanjem u istim majicama, pridružilo i više učesnika konferencije iz zemalja regiona.
Akcija grupe za slobodu medija i Čečenov apel EU pozdravljeni su aplauzom učesnika koferencije, koja je okupila 250 novinara, urednika i predstavnika novinarskih i medijskih udruženja i organizacija civilnog društva država Zapadnog Balkana.
