15. 06. 2010

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDING OF LOCAL MEDIA

At the conference "Financing of local media in Serbia", held on June 15, 2010 in the Belgrade Media Center, which was attended by representatives of the media and journalists' associations, NUNS (IJAS), ANEM, Lokal Press, Minister of Culture Nebojsa Bradic, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-government Milan Markovic and representatives of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM/SKGO), the distribution of funds from local budgets to local media was discussed. Both ministers have supported the initiative of NUNS, ANEM and Lokal Press to make recommendations on methods and criteria of allocation of funds from the budgets of local governments to local media.

It was concluded at the meeting that the position of the local media was very difficult and that such state of the media was contributed to by the fact that local self-governments carried out its obligation to set aside funding for the local in various ways, with some cities and municipalities failing to do so at all. Since there is no clearly defined legal way to distribute money to local media, the local authorities are left to determine themselves how to fulfill their obligations. This results in unfair competition, difficult economic situation of the media and pressure on local media. Therefore, by the time the Strategy for development of the media sector is brought, it is necessary to forward recommendations to local governments as to how to allocate resources from their budgets, which have been directed at local media, in a legitimate way, it is the joint assessment of all participants of this meeting. Uniformity of these criteria will contribute to greater professionalization and higher quality of public information, but also protection of the local media and journalists from possible abuses and arbitrariness of local authorities. Although the recommendation is not binding, it is expected that a large number of local governments accept it and thus show a high degree of responsibility for the functions they perform in the public interest.

It was agreed at the meeting that NUNS, ANEM and Lokal Press would prepare as soon as possible a joint recommendation for funding of local media, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. Such recommendation would then be forwarded to local self-governments by the two ministries and SCTM.