04. 12. 2012

MEDIA COALITION: PROPOSED LAW ON PUBLIC COMPANIES VIOLATES MEDIA STRATEGY

Belgrade, December 4, 2012 - The Media Coalition is genuinely dissatisfied with the Article 2 of the proposed Law on Public Companies, which provides for the possibility to establish public companies in the field of information. This proposal is in direct conflict with the Media Strategy adopted by the Government of Serbia last year, stipulating, among other things, the withdrawal of the state from ownership in media. We remind that the Strategy foresees that media cannot be founded, directly or indirectly, by the state, territorial autonomy, local self-governments, or by any other company or legal entity that is entirely or partially owned by the state or is financed, wholly or predominantly, from the public budget.

We call on the MPs in the Serbian Parliament to oppose this solution and to have in mind that it is not only in violation of the Media Strategy, but that it also contravenes the fundamental principles of media freedom, which should be upheld in developed democratic societies. We hope that the MPs will act responsibly and that they will not support a solution that would allow increased influence of the state on the media.

Media associations and journalists' organizations will monitor the future developments, inform the European Commission, OSCE and other international organizations and institutions, and ask for their support in preventing the adoption and implementation of this legal solution.

The Media Coalition consists of ANEM, NUNS, UNS, NDNV and Local Press.