During media reports today in the northern municipality of Leposavic, the journalist of Arbresh.info, Pleurat Salihu’s arm was broken in the exact place where a group of journalists and cameramen were attacked.

According to a colleague present, Salihu was provided with first medical help as soon as they were able to get out of the danger zone.

For the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, these attacks are horrific and unjustifiable. This is the third attack in a short period of time by Serbian protesters in the presence of security forces.

The media teams from Prishtina today were the target of yet another brutal attack while they were reporting from Leposaviq.

The PSB, RTK cameraman, Bardh Bekteshi, was physically attacked as seen in the disturbing footage that the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, received from his colleague who was present at the time of the attack. In addition to the physical attack, Bekteshi’s camera was also demolished.

In her statement for AJK, the journalist Venera Xhoxhaj confirmed that the protesters threw stones at the media teams, Tëvë1, RTV Dukagjini, RTK, Klan Kosova, and KTV.

“They were throwing stones at us, some colleagues while they were leaving, fell, while our cameraman, Bardh Bekteshi, was pushed, where he got knocked down and then physically attacked, causing him injuries in his head and body.”

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo is urgently calling upon the Kosovo Police, and the international presence in this region, to provide security to journalists and cameramen who are reporting from there.

AJK strongly condemns this attack, at the same time announces that all of the attacks that took in the north of the country will be reported to the international organizations that deal with the safety of journalists and the freedom of the media.

The awards for local journalism – “Anđelko Erceg” in the categories of print and internet, and “Siniša Glavašević” in the categories of radio and television for the year 2022 were presented today in Vinkovci. The award in the print category was given to journalist Damir Tolj from Slobodna Dalmacija. In the internet category, the recipient was Martina Pereša from the portal Istra24, and Petrinjski radio received the “Glavašević” award for radio journalism. For television journalism, the award went to journalist Bruna Papić from Libertas TV.

The ceremonial award ceremony took place in Vinkovci as part of the Media In Time journalism festival, with 44 journalistic works submitted for consideration.

Damir Tolj noted that this is his second award in a week, following the one from Slobodna Dalmacija. He remarked, “While some are rewarding me, others are suing me because at the same time, for the same texts, I am receiving both awards and lawsuits,” optimistically adding, “forward ours.”

Bruna Papić dedicated her award to her recently deceased colleague and cameraman Ivica Šabić, who together made a significant contribution to the story that was awarded.

Accepting the award on behalf of Petrinjski radio, Mario Gršić expressed hope that they are the last radio station operating in a container and under impossible conditions. He also expressed hope that their premises would soon be renovated and that they could be good hosts.

CJA President Hrvoje Zovko expressed great satisfaction that in Vinkovci, at the second formal award ceremony of the Croatian Journalists’ Association for local journalism named after the great Croatian journalists Anđelko Erceg and Siniša Glavašević.

He further stated, “I am truly proud, as is the entire CJA, that this award was established last year. In this way, we wanted to pay tribute to Anđelko Erceg and Siniša Glavašević for everything they have done for the journalism profession. We wanted to show that their work, their life path will never be forgotten. With these awards, we also want to acknowledge all colleagues who cover important local stories, whether in national or local, regional media. We particularly want to acknowledge colleagues in small media outlets, in smaller communities, who often face difficulties and are exposed to various pressures, primarily political and economic. We want to encourage them and tell them that they are not alone and that what they do is important for the society we live in, for a society that must be better if we want this country to be a better place for every citizen to live in. Timely and accurate information on all important topics is one of the foundations of every democratic and successful society. Local journalism can rightfully be considered the foundation of journalism. Anđelko Erceg and Siniša Glavašević are the best examples of living and dying for journalism.”

He added, “Siniša Glavašević showed how a local journalist becomes global in just one day because his reporting from war-torn Vukovar was the only relevant information and connection to the world.”

Such actions can only be carried out by great professionals and even greater individuals, aware that they will pay for their truthfulness with their lives. Anđelko Erceg, as a respected journalist and editor in mainstream media in Zagreb, Split, and Rijeka, returned to Makarska and launched Makarska kronika, which for years exposed the dark dealings of local powerbrokers, earning the title “the greatest small newspaper in Croatia” among colleagues.

Maja Ljubić Kutnjak, Acting Head of the European Parliament in Croatia, greeted the awardees via video link, emphasizing the importance of local journalism and expressing support for journalists and the CJA in their fight for their rights.

On behalf of the organizers, Branimir Bradarić, President of the CJA branch of Vukovar-Srijem County, stated that the Media In Time festival, organized by the Media Culture Center, is becoming more substantive with each passing year, and they will strive to maintain this good trend in the future.

The musical ensemble Greasy Flat 4 enhanced and made the award ceremony even more enjoyable with their music at the Vinkovci photo gallery Meraja, where the entire award program for CJA’s awards for local journalism took place, hosted by Ivana Radaljac Krušlin.

The fourth edition of the Media In Time festival, organized by the Media Culture Center, began with a panel discussion on journalistic photographers, a profession threatened with extinction due to cost-cutting in media production. Newspaper photographers increasingly work for agencies within media houses, with fewer opportunities to tell stories or work in the field as reporters. Before the award ceremony, an exhibition of photographs titled “The Photographer Is a Journalist” by the CJA branch of Istria County was opened, featuring 18 photographs by Istrian photojournalists.

The festival program continues in Vukovar with a panel discussion on “Minority Media and Community Identity,” moderated by communication and media expert Tomislav Levak, a lecturer at the Academy of Arts and Culture of the University of Osijek.

Below are the justifications for the awarded prizes.

The Evaluation Committee, chaired by Željka Gavranović, with members Darko Baronica, Marija Molnar, Kristina Čirjak, Jasmin Klarić, Branko Mijić, and Hrvoje Zovko, reviewed 44 journalistic works. Below are the justifications for the awards:

“ANĐELKO ERCEG” AWARD IN THE PRINT CATEGORY

Damir Tolj, Slobodna Dalmacija

Damir Tolj, a journalist from Slobodna Dalmacija, exposed and brought closer to the whole of Croatia the complete sinking of the Split shipyard with his articles. In addition to delving into the past and reasons for such a business collapse, as a true local journalist, he brought out the most valuable aspect of such stories – the fates, as we usually say, of small people who are squeezed by big, but wrong, decisions. Without his articles, the public would have been deprived of information about the downfall of the former economic giant of Split, as well as about all the maneuvers of its owner Tomislav Debeljak, about which the colleague, although it was not possible to obtain official information because the company management declared him a persona non grata, wrote without hesitation, especially emphasizing the difficult position of the shipyard workers. He was and remains their voice when no one else wanted to hear them, and for that reason, in fierce competition, he deserved the award named after Anđelko Erceg.

“ANĐELKO ERCEG” AWARD IN THE INTERNET CATEGORY

Martina Pereša, Istra24

Martina Pereša, a journalist from the Istra24 portal, unquestionably and overwhelmingly demonstrated the value of local journalism with her article titled “SATURDAY ACCIDENT AS A WARNING Branislav Danevski: The system only exists on paper. What if I hadn’t been in Pula?” A story about a system that failed, through smart and dedicated analysis of events – the sinking of a sailboat and the rescue of two women from the sea – mercilessly dissected the shaky rescue system, highlighting all its flaws and proving how it was only one man away from complete collapse. In the sea of sensationalist articles and in a time when events from the police blotter are used almost exclusively for the immediate attention of a large number of readers and “clickbait,” Pereša used such an event that would have been forgotten in a day or two without her writing, to warn, improve, change, highlight, and point out. In other words, she showed what it means to be a journalist.

“SINIŠA GLAVAŠEVIĆ” AWARD IN THE RADIO CATEGORY

Petrinjski radio

In difficult and crisis situations, the media fully assume their fundamental role as news disseminators and mediators between worlds. In peacetime, this role is somewhat lost – especially today, in the era of “fast” news. Petrinjski radio, unfortunately, has been operating under abnormal conditions for years. Fortunately, this journalistic-hosting team copes quite well even in a container. The fact that they work tirelessly without interruption is enough evidence of how they live their job. Their shows, reports, and messages have long been an honest voice from the earthquake-ravaged and now somewhat forgotten part of Croatia. Without them, we would all be deprived of the complete truth, of a reality that is sometimes harsh and sometimes touching, of details that truly matter or at least make a significant difference, of people worth noticing and those we should push off the public stage as soon as possible. This award is a small sign of everything they did for their listeners and colleagues last year, helping to clear the communication channel, which, especially towards the capital, can easily lose messages and blur vision.

“SINIŠA GLAVAŠEVIĆ” AWARD IN THE TELEVISION CATEGORY

Bruna Papić, Libertas TV

Focusing on an apparently typical event for local journalists – the (un)fair allocation of funds by local government units to citizen associations – and delving deeper into the story, Libertas TV journalist Bruna Papić fully immersed herself in the role of a local journalist, wanting to bring about change for people from her community with her work. The positive response from the “competent authorities,” those who can help in such situations, is the most beautiful part of journalism and the fulfillment of its fundamental purpose – working for the common good. With her television report, Bruna Papić showed how an apparently simple, everyday topic, somewhat boring for many journalists, can become significant if approached by a true journalist. At such a moment, focusing on details, having a clear goal and vision, and presenting precisely those parts of the story that will provoke a reaction, is truly commendable skill.

Following the recent resignation of the CEO and other major politically-influenced internal management changes at Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), the Italian public service broadcaster, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned organisations in expressing growing alarm about threats to the editorial independence of the broadcaster. We call on the parliament to initiate a debate aimed at reforming the governance and funding system of RAI and safeguarding its independence.

On May 8, 2023, Carlo Fuortes announced his resignation from the post of CEO of RAI, citing political pressure. The high-profile resignation came amidst reports of behind-the-scenes negotiations between Fuortes and the cabinet involving his appointment as the director of a Napolitan theatre. Within this context, the government issued a decree law which forces the former theatre director into premature retirement. 

On May 15, Roberto Sergio was appointed as the new CEO of RAI, who swiftly announced the need for “new storytelling” by the broadcaster in a letter to its employees. This was followed by the change, with a minority vote, of five out of the eight RAI channels’ editors-in-chief. We believe these developments put RAI’s editorial independence at serious risk. Sergio’s reference sets the tone for broadcasting programming conformed with the ruling coalition’s agenda. As concerns other management changes, we believe that also the appointment of Giampaolo Rossi as RAI’s new Corporate General Manager is particularly worrying, given his controversial public stances, and risks exacerbating the polarisation of Italian public opinion.

Currently, the Italian broadcasting service’s governance is heavily affected by RAI’s Board appointment mechanism, which testifies to its lack of independence from the executive. Of a total seven Board members, one is elected by RAI employees, and two each by the government, the chamber of representatives and the senate. Following the codification of this appointment mechanism in 2004 (law 111/2004), amended in 2016 (law 220/2015), the composition of the board has reflected cyclical waves of politically-motivated interference in RAI’s governance following elections. As stated in the Council of Europe’s 2012 Recommendation: “without demonstrable independence of action and initiative, from government as well as from any other vested interest or institution, public service media organisations cannot sustain their credibility”. Public broadcasting in the hands of any political forces is not at the service of the public interest, but a tool in their hands which threatens media integrity, an essential condition for the functioning of our democratic societies.

A further source of concern is the bill proposal recently presented by Lega Senator Mara Bizzotto. Part of the government’s coalition, Lega’s proposed amendments threaten to shrink even further the financial autonomy of the Italian broadcasting service. Currently, RAI is funded by citizens through a licence fee plus advertisement. According to Lega’s reform, public broadcasting funding would be subjected to a yearly determination via the Budget Law. While such a legislative amendment might face opposition within the governing coalition, we are nonetheless concerned by Lega’s proposal, which, if passed, would seriously reduce the broadcaster’s financial independence.

Under European freedom of expression standards, RAI as a public service broadcaster should enjoy operational and administrative autonomy from any other person or entity, including the government and any of its agencies. This autonomy shall be respected at all times. The Italian Constitutional Court had made its position clear, arguing that public service broadcasting is to be intended as a “social service” which must “offer the public a range of services characterised by objectivity and completeness of information”, a condition which can be fulfilled by granting adequate powers of oversight to the Parliament (Constitutional Court rulings 94/1987 and 69/2009). 

Joining the dissent expressed by both Italian and European journalists’ associations and unions, the undersigned organisations call on the Italian parliament to initiate a comprehensive reform of the legislation regulating Italian public broadcasters.We urge Italy to bring forward legislation directed to protect public service media from undue interference and guarantee its funding. Such a reform should allow RAI to operate in a sustainable governance framework, with reliable and adequate funding, securing both its editorial independence and public accountability, as recommended by the proposal for the European Media Freedom Act.

Signed:

• European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
• European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
• International Press Institute (IPI)
• OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries. www.mfrr.eu

Tonight, the vehicle of the Public Broadcaster, Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), consisting of journalist Arbresha Berisha, camera operators Ilir Uka and Bardh Bekteshi, as well as engineer Mentor Vinarci, was attacked in Zveçan.

During the live reporting for a news edition from this municipality, journalist Arbresha Berisha announced that several individuals fired shots at the vehicle and punctured its tires. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

For the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, these attacks are unacceptable and very concerning, given that within a two-week period, the attacks have reached an unprecedented level so far.

AJK invites local and international law enforcement agencies to guarantee the security of media teams reporting on tensions in the northern municipalities of the country.

The parliamentary Committee on Information, Informatization, and Media on Wednesday determined the list of seven candidates for the Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) Program Council and voted on the proposal to appoint Dajana Barbić as a member of the HRT Supervisory Board until the end of the mandate.

The Media Committee accepted the list for the selection of four members of the Program Council, which includes Josip Čerina, Lidija Gašparović, Marko Gregur, Danijel Labaš, Antonija Petričušić, Rajko Stilinović, and Luka Šuput. The decision on the selection will be made by parliamentary deputies at the plenary session.

The procedure for selecting four members of the Program Council was initiated because the mandate of the Council’s President, Zdravka Kedža, and three members Lidija Gašparović, Ivica Lučić, and Zorislav Lukić, is expiring.

However, on the other hand, four candidates applied for the competition for the selection of one member of the HRT Supervisory Board, announced after Davor Zoričić requested dismissal. Upon the proposal of the ruling HDZ, the proposal for the appointment of Dajana Barbić was voted on, which will also be decided by parliamentary deputies at the plenary session.

The HRT Program Council consists of 11 members, nine of whom are appointed by the Parliament, two by the creative staff of the HRT, and it represents and protects the public interest by supervising the programming of public broadcasting. The HRT Council usually meets once every three months, and at least once a year, it submits a report to the Croatian Parliament on its work and the implementation of the program principles and obligations of the HRT established by law and the Contract with the Government.