18. 07. 2012

NEW GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT MEDIA STRATEGY

Belgrade, Novi Sad, July 18, 2012 - Media and journalists' associations will primarily measure the accomplishments of the new Serbian government on the media scene through the demonstrated attitude towards the Media Strategy. The degree of met requirements of this document, which the associations have insisted on in recent years, will be measured by the willingness of the government to truly implement the long-awaited reforms in the media sector. The new government has already been given the first opportunity in the case of sale of the daily Politika to ensure the transparency of media ownership, as promised in the Coalition agreement.

Media associations expect the promises made in the Media Strategy will still be kept, related to the withdrawal of the state from media ownership, change of the way the budget funds are earmarked for the media, namely that these funds are allocated to media through project financing, as well as measures that will create equal conditions for all in the Serbian media market.

We remind that the media and journalists' associations have not accepted the position that six regional public services should be established in Serbia, as well as that councils of national minorities should be the owners of minority media. When it comes to these issues, we will continue to fight for solutions that we believe are more appropriate to the circumstances in Serbia, but also to the standards of a developed democratic society.

We welcome the willingness of politicians, who are negotiating the forming of a new governing coalition, to abolish the Public Information Law, but we remind that the Constitutional Court of Serbia repealed restrictive provisions of this law long ago. This was done after the strong protest of the democratic public, as a result of associations' determined actions, so this could not be interpreted as an achievement of future government, but as the implementation of relevant court's decisions.

We also welcome the readiness to investigate the allegations in the report of the Anti-Corruption Council signed by the late Verica Barac. The associations expect that this will result in the determining of facts, but also that it will be accompanied by measures to prevent corrupt behavior, limit the right of the ministries to spend taxpayers' money on providing financial support to the media that are in their favor and lead to the liberalization of the advertising market.

NUNS, UNS, ANEM, Local Press and NDNV