11. 08. 2011

Predrag Markovic: media in the throes of the state

The Minister of Culture and Media on the situation in the Serbian journalism, Media Strategy, protection of protection of monuments in Kosovo and Metohija: There is no political will of the state to withdraw from the media ownership

Belgrade, August 11, 2011. (Vecernje Novosti) - The final text of the Strategy will be finished by September, when the Ministry would propose it to the Government for adoption. Some parts will apparently be different than the Draft in which preparation the representatives of the journalists' associations and the media participated.

As the Minister Markovic said in the interview for "Novosti" daily, adoption of the Strategy is only the first step toward reforming the Serbian media, after which a more difficult step would ensue, namely adoption of the laws ensuing from this document.  Some laws will be adopted during the next six months and some in the next four years.

Asked in which phase the development of the Media Strategy was at the moment, Markovic answered:

- Experts proposed by the journalists' and media association completed the working version of the text timely. We extended the public debate to July 15^th, and all remarks and recordings of the public discussions held in cities/towns in Serbia are available on the Ministry's website, and now they are being compared with the EU and regional experiences by the Department of the Media. But also with the level of the achieved rights and sustainability.

Which were the most common remarks to the Draft Media Strategy?

- As it could be seen on the website, the most common remarks were related to the wish to keep the monopoly or at least some kind of state control over the local electronic media. Personally, I understand all arguments that are based on the concern over preserving of the identity. But ownership is not the only guarantee for that.

Will the Ministry take into account the received remarks and requests and which way would the proposals of legal solutions be changed?

- Laws are changed in accordance with a clearly defined procedure. Therefore, we will organize public hearing in the National Assembly, before the Government adopts the Strategy, although the procedure of adoption of the Strategy does not envisage that.

- Will the SVM's remarks be taken into account, namely the remarks to the parts of the Draft that provide that national minority councils shall not be founders of media outlets?

- We appreciate it, but we do not single out remarks of a certain author. The text of the Draft is not a scripture, as the state secretary for information said.

Which way will the transparency of media ownership be secured?

- By precise laws and rigorous punishments.

Is there political will of the state to withdraw from the ownership in all media?

- Such will is apparently lacking at various levels and with various motives. But political will is created. Even by arguments.

Which media laws are to be adopted after the adoption of the Strategy?

- There will be primarily the laws regulating the field of electronic media, public service and cable operators. But I have to emphasize that a whole set of laws should also be amended paparelly to that. From the Advertizing Law to the Criminal Code and the Law of Criminal Procedure.

When is the deadline for completing all this work?

- The envisaged deadlines will be within 18 months, because what needs to be taken into account is the election cycle when the National Assembly will not undertake its regular operations.

Will the Public Information Law be changed? Namely, the Law brought when Bradic was the minister and which was disputed a lot as non-democratic.

- The Public Information Law will be changed, too. It is a precondition. It is one of the laws whose solutions I was concerned about during four years while I was out of the public live.

How do you estimate the current state in Serbian media?

- The absence of professionalism and the lack of professional competition could be seen everywhere. Self-censorship is also present, which is only a visible form of the fact that the media are more in the throes of advertising agencies that the state. The Strategy will therefore stipulate a whole set of activities for helping the media and their business operations.