20. 02. 2004

Low salaries funding media growth

BELGRADE, February 20, 2004 – Media companies in Serbia are surviving and growing on the back of low salaries for journalists, according to the results of a study conducted by “IREX Promedia.” The average journalist salary is around 250 euros, while in some local media journalists earn less than 200 euros. More than 80 percent of local media in Serbia are yet to begin the process of privatisation, while one fifth has not even considered it. Participants in a conference on “Privatisation of local media in Serbia” urged the state to assist local media, noting that their privatisation would help bring the media sector into line with European standards. The financial director of the Media Development Local Fund, Jarek Gora, said that the problem of media privatisation is common to all other countries in southeast Europe. “The essence is the same – politicians want control of the media and set out to achieve this in various ways. In Serbia, for example, it’s through ownership.”