ANEM has recently completed the implementation of the project "Better Serbia", with its central activity: production of radio series - three-minute radio features that promote positive examples of involvement of individuals, groups or institutions who have contributed to solving a specific problem or improve the quality of life of citizens in Serbia. With this series, ANEM aimed to show that Serbia we could create better Serbia ourselves, not waiting for others to do that for us, and thus motivate citizens to engage and take on greater responsibility in the process of transition towards a modern democratic society and the institutions to be more accountable in their conduct. During project implementation, 147 features were produced, from various places across Serbia, including Belgrade. The production involved nine journalists, one in Belgrade and 8 local correspondents. The features were recorded in 24 places in all parts of Serbia (+9 municipalities in Belgrade). There were a total of 404 interlocutors in the programs, excluding the surveys of the public and vox pop. The series was aired during 7 months, from October 2009, ending in April 2010, every working day, in the primetime block (after the news) or other the most listened news broadcasts, at 42 ANEM local and regional stations across Serbia. Production was carried out in cooperation with A-media Production Company as ANEM longtime partner.

ANEM web portal "Better Serbia", created in this project, continues to operate even after the completion of the project. The portal is aimed at promoting positive values in Serbia, as well as good practices of individuals and institutions that have succeeded in changing themselves and things around them for the better. Visitors can participate in the creation of the portal's content with their comments or a story in the section "Start the story". Therefore we invite all interested parties to tell their story of better Serbia and thus contribute to the promotion of positive values in Serbia! You can access the portal from ANEM web site - banner link to "Better Serbia" is located in the upper right corner.

Implementation of the project "Better Serbia" was supported by the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA)

ANEM presents the project "Better Serbia", whose implementation is supported by the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA).

The main activity of the project is production of a new cycle of the radio series "Better Serbia", which ANEM implements, once again, in cooperation with A-media. This radio series was originally initiated in 2005, with the support of the Fund for an Open Society, and renewed in 2007 with the help of European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR).

Radio production "Better Serbia" is a series of radio three-minute features that promote positive examples of engagement of individuals, groups or institutions that have specifically contributed to solving some problems or improve the quality of life of citizens. By exploring these examples and giving them the necessary attention of the media and the public that they generally lack, ANEM aims to show that we can make better Serbia on our own, not waiting on others to do that for us. Given the slow pace of changes in Serbia and the fact that citizens have not yet achieved the desired quality of life, the success of individuals and institutions to change themselves and things around them for better, can serve as a good example and model of behavior to others. Stories of good examples, treated in the features, should motivate citizens to engage and take on greater responsibility in the process of transition towards a modern democratic society, and institutions to be accountable in their work.

Within the series, 147 features will be produced, with the stories from various places across Serbia, including Belgrade. Nine journalists are involved in the production (one from Belgrade and eight correspondents). Editor of the features is Jugoslava Siroka. Features treat the topics from four broader areas deemed important for the quality of life of citizens:

1. The municipal administration and communal institutions as a service to citizens
2. Education and Employment
3. Health care and social services
4. Security and protection of citizens (particularly focused on the problem of domestic violence)  

The features will be broadcast for 7 months from October 2009, every working day, in central news segments of the program (after the news) or in other popular informative programs, on 42 ANEM local and regional radio stations across Serbia. These are: OK Radio, Vranje; Radio Uzice, Uzice; RTV VK Kikinda, Kikinda; Radio Luna, Uzice; RTV M+, Mladenovac; RTV Nisava, Nis; Radio Ozon, Cacak; RTV Kursum, Kursumlija; Radio NB, Novi Bečej; RTV Mir, Leposavić; Radio Čačak, Čačak; RTV Kragujevac, Kragujevac; Radio Ema, Bujanovac; Radio Em, Knjazevac; Ivanjicki radio, Ivanjica; RTV Krusevac, Krusevac; Radio Bus, Kovin; RTV Mlava, Petrovac na Mlavi; RTV Kovacica, Kovacica; RTV Spektar, Sombor; RTV Pancevo, Pancevo; Radio Bemin Muzikal 93, Arilje; RTV Zajecar, Zajecar; Radio CITY, Nis; RTV Prima, Bajina Basta; RTV Vrnjacka Banja, Vrnjacka Banja; Radio Boom 93, Pozarevac; Radio Odzaci, Odzaci; Radio Pozega, Pozega; RTV Trstenik, Trstenik; Radio Subotica, Subotica (Serbian and Croatian editorials); Radio Sombor, Sombor; Radio Patak, Valjevo; Radio 021, Novi Sad; Radio Petica, Niš; RTV Sokobanja, Sokobanja; RTV Sumadija, Arandjelovac; Radio Far, Alibunar; RTV Caribrod, Caribrod; Radio Kontakt Plus, Kosovska Mitrovica; Radio Pirot, Pirot; Radio Leskovac, Leskovac.

Project "Better Serbia" has an important role for the development of local media, too. By broadcasting high-quality features on social issues important for everyday life of citizens, local stations significantly improve their program content and achieve better communication with their listeners/ citizens, which contributes to the strengthening of their influence in local communities. Participation of local journalists in the production of the series encourages investigative journalism and creativity of journalists, which then contributes to raising the quality and level of professional standards of the local media. At the same time, and the wider social role of media as important initiator of democratic changes is achieved, because the local media take initiatives in the promotion of positive values in their communities. Demonstrating, through examples, that things can change, they motivate citizens to a more active role in creating favorable conditions for life, and the institutions to more responsible attitude towards their obligations to citizens, which represents a step closer to a better Serbia.

Beside the production of radio features, another activity envisaged by the project is the creation and launching of the new web portal, under the same title. Web portal "Better Serbia" will have a unique design and will be accessible from ANEM website. The portal will contain the section with selected radio features from the latest series, but also from similar TV productions planned for 2010. Furthermore, the portal will also bring some other interesting stories and news; it will promote activities of nongovernmental organizations and other formal and informal institutions that work on improvement of citizens' life in Serbia. Visitors of this portal will be able to leave their comments, suggestions and questions, as well as to participate in creation of its contents by providing their own stories of positive examples.

Using new technologies and better communication facilities provided by the Internet, ANEM will thus contribute to greater accessibility, dissemination of information in promotion of positive values in Serbia and speeding up of democratic reforms.

ANEM and A-MEDIA have re-launched radio project „Better Serbia". Project is funded by European Union through Media Fund - programme for support to professional media development in Serbia - managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction and technically implemented by Press Now .

„Better Serbia" is a series of three-minute radio features presenting good practices and positive examples of individuals and institutions that directly contribute to the development and improvement of certain aspects of life in Serbia and thus enhance the life quality of the citizens. The project "Better Serbia" will present and point to good practices and positive examples of individuals and institutions who have contributed to encouragement of positive values in Serbia. Providing that the transition to a modern democratic society in this country is rather slow, in stagnation or even regress, this project aims to promote those positive examples that nevertheless exist in many environments in Serbia, but which have not been given necessary media attention. Thus, it will contribute to encouragement of positive trends in Serbia and strengthen the role of media in this important process.

Journalists will treat the topics from four wider aspects of importance for the citizens of Serbia :

1. Municipal Administration and Public Offices in Service of Citizens
2. Education and Employment
3. Health and Social Support Services for Citizens, and
4. Police and Judiciary in Service of Citizens.

The goal is to include local media in supporting and encouraging those positive values. The project specifically aims to inspire journalists and media, through the principles of investigative journalism and by respecting high professional qualities and creativity, to search for sometimes less obvious positive examples in these areas and present them to local and wide public. It will also support programme development of local stations by providing quality investigative features on important topics.

Project lasts 12 months , starting on July 2, 2007. 22 features will be produced each month (from 20 to 23 features, depending on the number of working days in given month).

The implementation team consists of an editor ( Belgrade ), 10 journalists - correspondents from Belgrade and 8 more cities in Serbia , and a sound technician ( Belgrade ). Features are collected and then produced, finally processed and edited in Belgrade.

Features are in form of radio packages, with approximately 15 seconds long introduction and sign-off and the theme background music. Total duration of features is between three and three and a half minutes.

Stations will broadcast one feature per day, every working day of the month, in prime-time slots, for example, after the main news program or in other news programmes with solid ratings, depending on the programme schedule of each particular station involved in the project:

ANEM members:

1. RTV Bajina Basta Bajina Basta
2. RTV Globus Kraljevo
3. RTV Kragujevac Kragujevac
4. RTV Kraljevo Kraljevo
5. RTV M+ Mladenovac
6. RTV Pancevo Pancevo
7. RTV Pozega Pozega
8. RTV Sokobanja Sokobanja
9. RTV Spektar Sombor
10. RTV Trstenik Trstenik
11. Radio Bemin Musical 93 Arilje
12. Radio 021 Novi Sad
13. Radio Boom 93 Požarevac
14. Radio Cacak Cacak
15. Radio City Nis
16. Radio EM Knjazevac
17. Radio Ema Bujanovac
18. Radio Far Alibunar
19. Radio Kontakt Plus Kosovska Mitrovica
20. Radio Luna Uzice
21. Radio OK Vranje
22. Radio Ozon Cacak
23. Radio Patak Valjevo
24. Radio Petica Nis
25. Radio Pirot Pirot
26. Radio Skala Sabac
27. Radio Sombor Sombor
28. Radio Staff Leskovac
29. Radio Subotica Subotica
30. Radio Uzice Uzice
31. Radio X Grocka

ANEM affiliates:

1. RTV Krusevac Krusevac
2. RTV Kovacica Kovacica,
3. RTV Mag Obrenovac
4. RTV Mlava Petrovac na Mlavi
5. RTV Majdanpek Majdanpek
6. Radio Bus Kovin
7. Radio Ivanjica Ivanjica
8. Radio M Novi Pazar
9. Radio NB Becej
10. Radio Nisava Nis
11. Radio Roda Sabac
12. Radio OM Loznica
13. Radio Točak Valjevo

Project is realised due to financial support of European Union. Programme content is solely the responsibility of ANEM and it does not represent views of the European Union.

To receive information about other programmes in Serbia funded by the European Union, as well as detailed information on accession of Serbia to the European Union, please visit the website of the European Agency for Reconstruction (www.ear.europa.eu/)

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