06. 10. 2011

REPORT ON ANEM PRESS CONFERENCE “Media Strategy – What’s Next?”

The press conference titled "Media Strategy - What's Next?" was held on October 6 in Belgrade Media Center, in organization of ANEM. Speakers at the press conference were the representatives of six media and journalists' associations who discussed the issue of adoption of the Media Strategy at the session of the Government of the Republic of Serbia held on September 28, 2011. Its adoption was preceded by the long process in which media and journalists' associations had an important role, namely the associations that composed the media coalition (ANEM, NUNS, UNS, NDNV and Local Press) and the Association of Media. These associations also had the representatives in the seven-member expert working group of the Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society, that had created, in the beginning of June 2011, the text of the Draft Strategy, subject to a public debate that followed until July 15, 2011. After the debate was concluded, the Ministry's Sector for media completed its text of the Proposal of the Draft Media Strategy during the summer and forwarded it to the new working group, established by the Prime Minister, for final suggestions. This newly formed working group completed its text of the Proposal of the Media Strategy on September 8, 2011, which was, without allowing the public to get acquainted with the contents of this document, forwarded to competent bodies for further opinion, and then, with certain changes, to the Government for adoption.

The aim of organizing this press conference was to inform the public of the positions of six media and journalists' associations on the adopted Media Strategy and its solutions, as well as of the further steps of these associations regarding the implementation of the Strategy. The conference speakers were: Sasa Mirkovic (ANEM President), Zoran Sekulic (representative of Association of Media and member of the Prime Minister's Working group for drafting Proposal of the Media Strategy), Vukasin Obradovic (NUNS President), Ljiljana Smajlovic (UNS President), Dinko Gruhonjic (NDNV President) and Dejan Miladinovic (President of the Local Press Managing Board). The conference was attended by a great number of journalists (Hlas ľudu, FONET, Tanjug, Kurir, AFP, RFE, Vecernje Novosti, Radio Beograd, PG Mreza, BETA, TV Forum), representatives of journalists' and media associations, Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society, domestic institutions (Serbian Chamber of Commerce), academic community as well as international organizations, donor community and diplomatic corps (Fond for an Open Society, OSCE, British Embassy, Austrian Embassy, Embassies of Poland, Slovakia, Netherlands, IREX, Civil Rights Defenders, Medienhilfe).

The whole report on this press conference is available in the attachment below.

This event is realized with the support of the Fund for an Open Society, Serbia (FOSS).

The report on ANEM press conference is available here