02. 09. 2010

Public discussion on Media Study launched

Belgrade, September 2, 2010 (B92) - Public discussion on the Draft Media Study has begun with the holding of the first round table dedicated to the Press Council, print media and news agencies.

The Serbian Culture Minister Nebojsa Bradic opened the round table. The table was also attended by the Chief of OSCE Mission to Serbia, the British Ambassador to Serbia as well as the Deputy Chief of the EU Delegation in Serbia.

At the beginning of the first of the six round tables, the Culture Minister Nebojsa Bradic said that the Media Strategy, which Serbia would get after a wide public debate, presented a turning point in the media scene development.

Bradic assessed that Serbia had certain challenges on its path toward European integrations, but also an obligation to make qualitative changes in this field.

"Throughout a transparent process, we will come to a strategy that enables conditions for quality and objective public informing", Bradic said.

The Chief of OSCE Mission to Serbia Dimitrios Kipreos said that he was satisfied with the fact that media workers and the government representatives participated in this process, in order to reach the common goal - independent and responsible journalism.

British Ambassador to Serbia Steven Wordsworth said that "free and responsible media is the basic condition for a modern society, for which we need a clear legal framework".

"This is also important for the Serbian path to the EU, which is encouraged by Great Britain", Mr. Wordsworth pointed out.

In the part of the debate, which was opened to media, ANEM President Sasa Mirkovic addressed the participants and emphasized that it was good that the discussion on the Strategy had begun in a transparent way.

According to him, the last year's situation, when alteration and annexation of the Serbian Law on Information were prepared in secrecy, should not be repeated.

The President of the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia Vukasin Obradovic stated that the Media Strategy should contribute to the substantial restructuring of the media scene in Serbia.

"During the public discussion, we expect to get quality draft of the Media Strategy, which will contain all standards of the EU media law, unlike those still applying in Serbia", Obradovic said.

Ljiljana Smajlovic, the President of the Journalists Association of Serbia, said that this association would insist on terminating state participation in media ownership. Smajlovic said that all relevant media associations in Serbia, before the public discussion began, had agreed on defining the minimum standards and principles they would not abandon during the public debate.

The starting point for developing the Strategy is the Media Study, prepared by the experts engaged by the European Commission.