25. 10. 2014

RULEBOOK ON PROJECT-BASED MEDIA FINANCING TO COME INTO FORCE ON 13 NOVEMBER

The Rulebook on project-based financing of media, that should come into force on 13 November, will more precisely regulate co-financing of projects and define public interest, as well as set the criteria for project evaluation, said Dejan Stojanovic, adviser in the information sector of the Ministry of Culture and Information.

In case a project is rejected, the commission comprised of media experts will have to provide arguments for rejection, Stojanovic said to Tanjug.

According to Stojanovic, the new Rulebook on project-based financing allows the media applying for funding to participate in calls for proposals outside their business headquarters if they reach other areas, and the commissions must pay attention to the trust and the strength the media have with readers, listeners or viewers.

Stojanovic also stated that media associations will propose commission members. If they do not do so, the public authorities that issued a call for proposals will elect a commission to be comprised by media experts who understand that state of the media. He also pointed out that party members will not be allowed in the commissions as this would constitute a conflict of interest.

Speaking about local media, Stojanovic stressed that local self-autonomies have already had the obligation to take care of the media. However, each local self-autonomy has been doing it in its own way. Therefore, the new Law on Information equalizes the conditions for all media outlets in the markets of these areas. According to Stojanovic, local-self autonomies should make the work of the commissions transparent, and all interested parties should monitor their work (without taking part in the actual work of the commissions) and thus create an opinion whether the commissions reached good decisions.

According to Snezana Milosevic, secretary general of Local Press, project-based financing should create equal conditions for all media.

Milosevic announced that Local Press will begin training for media outlets that wish to apply by means of projects for funding in the area of public information, with the aim of assisting local media.

The public debate "Media and Local Communities - Development of Trust" is the 11th out 12 planned debates organized within the Campaign for Media Literacy of the Media Coalition, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was held yesterday in Cacak with the aim to raise public awareness about free and responsible journalism as a basis for a democratic society.