17. 01. 2014

MEDIA DOMINATED BY PR

Belgrade, January 17, 2014 (FONET) - Studies show that between 60 and 75 percent of the media content in the region is concrete and direct result of the work public relations (PR ) agencies, was said today during a public discussion on "Spinning Against Responsible Journalism".

Political Science Professor Veselin Kljajic said that the spinning is a PR activity directed towards media, with goals to divert attention from important issues of the irrelevant ones, getting used to unpopular measures , awakening emotions to reduce rational thought ...

As a cause for great PR presence in the media, Kljajic cited "economic tsunami followed by digital storm , which placed journalists in a very difficult position," increased pressure by publishers, advertisers and politicians, lack of transparency of media ownership.
Research shows that journalists are better educated than PR staff, but media are still experiencing the terror of PR, said Kljajic.
Stating that the media outlets have been turned into "mailboxes that everyone fills as they want," Kljajic said that the only response is training, professionalization, establishing of clear rules and the code of ethics.

Speaking about  "the power of PR ," P.R.A agency director Predrag Vujovic said that the two most influential people in Serbia, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, were until recently the spokesman of their political parties.
They use PR in their work every day, said Vujovic, claiming that spin does not have to be negative , for example, in a situations where it is stressing a positive side of a topic.

The media need to be a professional in order to stop the negative spin , said Vujovic.

The executive director of the weekly NIN Nebojsa Spaic said that ethics is the only defense of journalism from the negative impact of PR.

Speaking of "various kinds of manipulation" Spaic said that a public impression was made that the murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija is solved , although the indictment is pending, nor was the responsibility of suspects proven.

A big step has been made, but the case is far from being solved , said Spaic.

According to him, the problem is not in the spin, but in the media , who often do not even try to resist it.

The solution is to encourage journalistic professionalism, and this is difficult, said Spaic.

Deputy chief editor of "Kurir" Igor Cuzovic said sometimes his daily supports spin, because the editorial office "has the same interest as the one who spins."

A responsible journalists recognize spin and uses it for something proper. Spin is a deadly weapon that can be used for a good thing, but also for causing a disaster, said Cuzovic.

He said that Kurir uses "upgraded reality" and violates journalistic ethics, if required to save someone's life.
If it will save someone` s life, we will not hesitate to cause most horrible feelings of readers, so to raise much more money for the treatment of a child , said Cuzovic.