11. 05. 2002

MONTENEGRIN MEDIA DIVIDED, SERBIAN INDIFFERENT

PODGORICA, 11.5.2002. - Media in Montenegro on the eve of local elections in the republic are divided between the "sovereignty" and pro-Yugoslav blocs, while the state media in Serbia is completely indifferent to the imminent elections, according to reports by two domestic election-monitoring NGOs. According to a report by Podgorica-based Center for Monitoring, the majority of media in Montenegro in the run up to the elections devoted most attention to the Montenegrin authorities and the activities of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), generally in a positive light. CEMI followed the reporting of Television Montenegro, TV Montena, TV In, TV Elmag, TV Parlament, as well as newspapers Pobjeda, Dan, Vijesti, Publika, and Glas Crnogoraca. According to its analysis, Montenegro state television devoted most coverage to the activities of the Montenegrin authorities and the DPS, 74 percent, while the Liberal Alliance came second with 8.5 percent. Local Podgorica television Montena and "In" also concentrated mainly on the so-called sovereignty bloc, said a CEMI representative. Podgorica television "Elmag" is more pro-Yugoslav oriented. Most of its coverage was dedicated to the activities of the Montenegrin authorities and the DPS, but in a negative light. Personal stances could be found also in the press media. In Pojeda and Publika most space was devoted to the DPS, and then the other parties. In daily Glas Crnogoraca, the Socialist People's Party and the People's Party gained most coverage. In daily Dan, which favours the pro-Yugoslav parties, the DPS and Liberal Alliance got most coverage, but in a negative context. At the same time, the state media in Serbia is completely indifferent to the local elections in Montenegro, according to the report by the Centre for Free and Democratic Elections, which monitored a number of media from April 22 to May 9. CeSid examined the reporting of media which could be followed in Montenegro - Radio Television Serbia and Yu Info, as well as newspaper Politika and a special issue of Belgrade daily Blic for Montenegro, "Blic Montenegro." CeSid spokesman Marko Blagojevic said that over a period of six days, state television's main informative program, Dnevnik 2, failed to broadcast a single report concerning Montenegro. "Were there no local television in Serbia, such as Studio B or TV B92, an uninformed viewer of state television could think that Montenegrin no longer resides here, in other words that it is no longer a composite member of the nation," said Blagojevic. By way of illustration, Blagojevic said that in Serbian state media the French presidential elections were followed more closely than the campaign for local elections in Montenegro.