18. 04. 2011

Protocol on cooperation in drafting the Media Strategy signed

On April 18, 2011, six media and journalists' associations (ANEM, NUNS, UNS, NDNV, Local Press and Association of Media) signed, with the Ministry of Culture, Information and Information Society, the Protocol that defines conditions for mutual cooperation in drafting the Serbian Media Strategy.

The Protocol foresees the formation of an expert working group that would propose to the Ministry the Draft Strategy for the development of the Serbian public information system until 2016, together with the action plan for its implementation. The working group would be composed of seven members: five nominated by media and journalists' associations and two by the Ministry. The working group would also use the consultancy of an expert from the European Commission, while one representative of the Ministry, civil society, Council of Europe and OSCE respectively, would take active part at the group's meetings.

According to the Protocol,  the working group would provide the Ministry  with the Draft Media Strategy and the action plan by the June 1, 2011, while the final text, subject to a public debate, would be ratified by the Minister. Certain issues defined in the Draft Strategy, forwarded to the Ministry by the working group, could also contain alternative solutions with detailed justification, which the Ministry would be obliged to inform the public about during the public debate. Also in the course of the debate, the text proposed by the working group, as well as the final text of the Draft, would be published on the Ministry's official website.

After months of delays in drafting the Media Strategy, signing of this Protocol has created the conditions for the continuance of the work on this strategic document. Five, out of six media and journalists' associations that have signed this Protocol, namely ANEM, NUNS (IJAS), UNS (JAS), NDNV (IJAV) and Local Press, have taken active role in the drafting process so far, by publicly advocating for joint stands on fundamental principles of the Media Strategy, as well as for solutions for the most important media issues that should be included in this document. As the Strategy drafting had been postponed a several times by Ministry of Culture, these associations publicly protested and demanded the continuation of work on the Strategy, deeming it crucial for the development of the entire sector. The last in the series of joint activities of this media coalition is the open letter addressed to the Serbian President and press conference held on April 6, 2011, followed by the Protocol signing.

All about joint activities of five associations, aimed at the passing of the Media Strategy, can be found on ANEM website, in the section Advocacy Activities.