PODGORICA, 07.04.2018. – Documentary “Using power on the seventh – Montenegro case”, was created by NGO “35mm” in cooperation with “Vijesti” journalists Svetlana Đokić and Tatjana Ašanin within a small grants program of the project Regional platform for advocating media freedom and journalists safety in the Western Balkans, whose member is Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG).
The documentary was created with a desire to leave a heritage to future generations, as well as a reminder on dramatic stories of Montenegrin journalists and their lives endangered only because of the job they have chosen, as well as aspiration to investigate and inform citizens about that.
This fundamental democratic value – free media and journalists, and the ability to report freely – is seriously disrupted by a series of attacks and the murders of journalists – most of which are not fully processed and dealt with, mainly due to the ineffectiveness and intentional inertness of the state institutions.
The conclusion of the documentary, which will be premiered on TV Vijesti in April is that intimidating atmosphere has been created, that the public has impression that there is no rule of law, and that there is a conspiratorial cooperation between state authorities and the attackers.
“As a rule, journalists who dared to criticize the government and point to corruption and crime were attacked or in the most drastic case – killed. Investigations were not urgent, effective, professional. Journalists are discouraged, and citizens lose confidence in the ability of the police and prosecutors to find guilty ones and punish them. Investigations must lead to orderers. Any different approach – opens space for new crimes without punishment!”, concludes the documentary.
After the round table held in November 2017, where the victims of the attacks shared their experiences team of NGO “35mm” in cooperation with experienced journalists begun its work on the documentary – within the project „Untold Stories: Journalists at Risk” implemented through small grants program of the project “Regional platform for advocating media freedom and journalists safety in the Western Balkans” implemented by Croatian Journalists Association.
“We are aware that the only united public can create pressure on the authorities in order to launch concrete actions, protect journalists and stop violence against them”, state NGO “35mm” and TV “Vijesti”.
After screening of the documentary, a public debate will be held in the end of April on the topic of media and freedom of expression protection in Montenegro, accompanied by campaigns on social as well as in traditional media.
This project is funded by the European Union through the small grants programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans” implemented by the Croatian Journalists’ Association as part of the regional project Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety, carried out through partnership of six regional journalists’ associations – Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), Association of BH Journalists (BHJ), Croatian Journalists’ Association all public communications, the Grantee is obliged to comply with the European Commission’s visibility requirements (CJA), Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM).