The ANEM roundtable "Role of the Media in Fighting Corruption" was held today in Belgrade with participation of more than 60 representatives of media outlets, media/journalists' associations, institutions, and the non-governmental sector.

The roundtable was organized as part of the project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" implemented by ANEM, in partnership with the Anti-Corruption Agency, and financed by the European Union.

The goal of the event was to foster discussion on the role of the media in preventing and fighting corruption, on the conditions needed for the media to successfully fulfill this role, and on the improvement of cooperation among three important actors - media, non-governmental sector and institutions - in solving the problem of corruption. 

This round table is the final activity on the project the main goal of which is to contribute to a more efficient prevention and fight against corruption by a more active inclusion of citizens and the media in the process. 

The event was opened by ANEM president Milorad Tadić who presented the ANEM project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" and the objectives of the roundtable.

The first session was dedicated to the fight against corruption and the prevention of corruption. It was moderated by Zlatko Minić of Transparency Serbia, who in his opening remarks said that the fight against corruption in Serbia is reduced to repression, but also that the initiated prosecution of corrupt activities is mainly not completed. He said that prevention, which is the only approach that can yield essential results, is neglected. It is necessary that all elements of society participate in the prevention of corruption: competent bodies, independent institutions, civil society, media, and the economy, said Minić and stressed the necessity of their mutual cooperation, especially between the media and civil society.  However, to achieve progress in the fight against corruption, conditions need to be changed because the existing ones are not adequate, said Minić. Prof. Vladimir Goati, president of Transparency Serbia, said that we can distinguish between systemic corruption, which is political, and the so-called petty corruption that is present in the daily life of citizens and in their interaction with the public sector. He said that, according to the corruption indexes, Serbia is a country where this phenomenon is deeply rooted in the system. In his view, systemic corruption, which is generated by political parties, is a bigger problem than petty corruption. He said that it is difficult to expect that a comprehensive control of the executive branch of government corruption-wise can be done internally and that it is essential that media and the civil society constantly apply pressure on the authorities. Zlata Đordjević, Deputy President of the Anti-Corruption Agency Board, said that the media are crucial in the fight against corruption because their reporting forces the authorities to fully investigate all cases of corruption. She also argued that media play an important role in educating citizens and that ANEM project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is therefore very important.

The second session "Media and the fight against corruption - the role of the media and the required conditions for media to perform this role" was opened by moderator Nedim Sejdinović of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), who said that the role of the media is indispensable in the fight against corruption as it can fulfill multiple functions: it can apply constant pressure on the Government to meet its anti-corruption programs and the promises; it can educate citizens about the need for transparency of state bodies, as well as about the place and the role of institutions and organizations in the fight against corruption; it can act preventively, creating an environment and a value system in which corruption will not be socially desirable; it can and should establish partnerships with institutions and organizations involved in the fight against corruption; it can have an educational function in relation to various social strata and can emphasize the responsibility of citizens for corruption, activating various social strata to engage in the fight against corruption. Vukašin Obradović, president of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), agreed that the media play an important role in fighting corruption, but he pointed out that a significant problem for realization of this role is non-transparent ownership of media, as well as non-transparent media financing from the state budget. He drew attention to the role of the media to point out systemic failures in the society and disorders that lead to corruption. He also said that the withdrawal of the state from media ownership will substantially enhance the role of the media in the fight against corruption, and therefore it is important to adopt a new set of media laws which should regulate the withdrawal of the state form media ownership. Zoran Sekulić, president of the Managing Board of the Association of Media, said that the awareness about the protection of public interest is a prerequisite for media to successfully engage in the fight against corruption, and that this awareness must exist among journalists, but also among media owners who have to provide conditions for journalists to work freely. Sekulić pointed out that the issues of transparency of media ownership and media funding must be resolved and that he has an impression that the new media laws will not fully resolve these issues. Milorad Tadić, president of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), said that media operate in very difficult conditions, that they are to a large extent dependent on state aid, and that publicly and privately owned media have an unequal status. According to Tadić, this is the reason why media cannot fulfill their role of government controllers.

The introduction to the third session, which was focused on the cooperation between media, NGOs, and relevant authorities in the fight against corruption, was provided by the moderator Nemanja Nenadić of Transparency Serbia, who emphasized the importance of cooperation between these stakeholders, noting that this cooperation is not at a high level presently. Rodoljub Sabić, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, said that it is extremely discouraging that citizens see the institution of the Commissioner as the greatest means for fighting corruption, although some other authorities have greater competence in this area. He also said that he submitted several months ago a report on compliance with the laws by the public companies to the Serbian Assembly, but that the document has not yet been reviewed by the Assembly, and added that it is worrying that the report had very little media coverage. Veran Matic, editor-in-chief of B92 news program, said that media are in a difficult financial situation, that the market dictates the programming content, and that as of year 2000 onwards there is a visible trend whereby the share of commercial content is increasing while the share of quality news program is on a decrease. Those media which dare to seriously report on a variety of social problems, including corruption, suffer adverse consequences, Matić pointed out. He also stressed that the media plays an important role in fighting corruption, but the role of the judiciary is the key one in that process. Dubravka Filipovski, member of the Serbian branch of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), presented the activities of this branch of the informal network of parliamentarians.

After the discussion, during the concluding part of the roundtable, the following conclusions and recommendations were formulated:

• It is necessary to represent corruption as an undesirable form of behavior through continuous education and promotion of activities within the fight against corruption.
• It is necessary to find a systemic and long-term solution for the problem of corruption.
• The legal framework pertaining to corruption must be predictable, clear, and enforceable, and the civil society and the media should take the role of the true guardians of the public interest.
• A better understanding of the competencies and functions of state bodies involved in the fight against corruption is needed as is objective reporting about their activities.
• Prevention must take precedence over repression.
• It is necessary to constantly strengthen capacities of independent institutions involved in the fight against corruption.
• It is essential to create an enabling environment for free and objective reporting about the problem of corruption.
• State bodies, the media and the civil society must find a way to cooperate even in the existing conditions, but it is important to work on the improvement of conditions for this cooperation, for which the willingness of all three parties is necessary.
• Cooperation between civil society and the media is important for solving the problem of corruption. Civil society, owing to its expertise, can help the media by identifying corruption, its causes, and offering a solution for this problem.
• The media should point out corruption, identify the sources and forms of corruption, and exercise pressure on the relevant authorities.

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union. 

14 journalists of Radio Television of Vojvodina and journalism students from the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad who participate in the project attended the training „Journalistic Genres", the last one within the project, held on 16 and 17 May 2014, at which the episode of the ANEM series was screened.

The ANEM TV episode screened at the training rounds up the series „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" and provides conclusions derived from previous episodes in respect to the widespread presence of corruption in Serbia, modes of preventing corruption and fighting it.

As the ANEM series deals with corruption-related issues, and the corruption is the main topic of the project „Agrarkor", the organizers thought it useful that journalists and students - project participants get acquainted with the work of their colleagues and with the topic of corruption by watching the ANEM TV episode.

„Our journalists and students will benefit from getting acquainted with the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" in the further implementation of the „Agrarkor" project", said Miroslava Vukadinović, project coordinator with the Radio Television of Vojvodina, and pointed out that all the training participants were informed that all the episodes of the ANEM series are available online.

Specific goals of the project „Agrarkor" are: strengthening the capacities of journalists and journalism students in the fight against corruption through the research of individual examples, production of media content and broadcasting it on radio, TV and on the multimedia web portal of the Radio Television of Vojvodina, as well as raising public awareness on the high level of corruption in the agriculture sector, which is underrepresented in the media and there is a lack of general knowledge about it, by producing and broadcasting 100 media packages, programs and online articles.

Series „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is the most important activity of the project with the same title which ANEM implemented in partnership with the Anti-Corruption Agency, with financial support of the EU. 40 radio stations and 25 TV stations - members of ANEM network across Serbia - broadcasted 21 radio and 21 TV episodes of the series, which cover, using examples, key concepts related to corruption, prevention of corruption and the fight against it. The episodes are available on the ANEM website and and its YouTube channel.

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union. 

"Glossary of Corruption" is an electronic publication of ANEM, produced within the project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption", which ANEM implements in the partnership with the Anti-Corruption Agency and with financial support from the European Union.

In cooperation with prof. Čedomir Čupić, PhD, and Zlatko Minić, expert consultants on the project and the authors of the "Glossary", ANEM provided the citizens and the media with yet another form of education about key terms related to corruption and anti-corruption. Previously, within the same project, ANEM produced radio and TV series "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption", which treats the key terms related to corruption and anti-corruption in an educative manner, explaining them through local stories as illustrations, which the citizens can easily understand and recognize in their local communities. Both the "Glossary" and the series, along with their instructive purpose, have an important role in inciting citizens and the media to a more active involvement in the fight against corruption.

The "Glossary of Corruption" is comprised of 26 terms. The production of the "Glossary" began with 20 most important terms which were the topics of the episodes of the above mentioned radio and TV series. These terms are: 'pantouflage'; 'bribery'; 'gift'; 'trading in influence'; 'accumulation of functions'; 'meaningful expenditure of public funds'; 'public debate'; 'public officials' property cards'; 'transparency in the work of public authorities'; 'institutional integrity'; 'whistleblower'; 'complaint'; 'nepotism and cronyism'; 'conflict of interest'; 'accountability of public officials and institutions'; 'misuse of public resources'; 'oversight and control of budget expenditures'; 'abuse of discretionary powers'; 'perception of corruption'; 'illicit enrichment'.

The "Glossary" contains 6 more terms, including some basic ones: 'corruption'; 'prevention in anti-corruption efforts'; 'fight against corruption'; 'models of fighting corruption'; 'Anti-Corruption Agency'; 'lobbying'. Among the corruption-related terms explained in the "Glossary" there are those already known to the citizens (e.g. 'bribery', 'nepotism' etc.), as well as those the citizens are unfamiliar with (e.g. 'trading in influence', 'pantouflage' etc.).

Among the 26, there are more terms the importance and anti-corruption potential of which the citizens do not recognize enough, and these concern the means at the citizens' disposal for the fight against corruption (e.g. 'public debate', 'whistleblower', 'complaint' etc.), and the means for systemic prevention and dealing with corruption, which the media and citizens have to insist on (e.g. 'oversight and control of budget expenditures'; 'accountability of public officials'; 'transparency in the work of public authorities'; 'institutional integrity' etc.). Particular attention was paid to the importance and the role of independent state bodies with supervisory and control competencies.

The authors of the "Glossary" attempted to provide expert explanations of the chosen terms, which are still easily understandable. Additionally, almost all the terms are illustrated with general or concrete examples - both good and bad, and with solutions which lead to positive results. Also, readers of the "Glossary" can listen or watch episodes from the ANEM series "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" via links in the chapters on 20 terms which were the subject of the series, and in the chapter on the term 'corruption'.

In this way, the "Glossary" should enable citizens and the media to more easily recognize corruption cases in their communities and to understand mechanisms at their disposal for the prevention of corruption and the fight against it. As a result, the publication should motivate them to get involved in dealing with corruption in a more active way, which is the primary goal of this project.

The "Glossary of Corruption" is available at the end of this page, both in Serbian and English.

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union. 

The Guide features: legal framework pertaining to corruption; key legal terms of importance in reporting on corruption; an overview of key areas for building and strengthening systemic anti-corruption mechanisms and an explanation of regulation pertaining to these areas. Particular attention was paid to financing political actors, and to the issues pertaining to gifts public officials receive in relation to their discharching of public function; the explanation of duties and restrictions concerning public officials for the prevention of conflict of interest; criminal acts related to corruption.

The Electronic Guide for Reporting on Corruption is available to ANEM member stations on the ANEM intranet. Along with two seminars (on corruption and reporting on corruption), participation in the production of radio and TV series covering key terms related to corruption, and the electronic publication "Glossary of Corruption", the Guide is yet another form of education which ANEM offered to its members through the implementation of the project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" to build their capacity for reporting on corruption.

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union.

The last (fourth) cycle of five television and radio episodes of the series „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" was broadcast on ANEM stations between April 14 and 18, 2014, while the last, 21st television and radio episode was broadcast in the week of 22 - 25 April. All said episodes are available in this article below the text. 

The last cycle of 5 television episodes (from 16th to 20th) featured here cover the following topics: Accountability of public officials and institutions, Abuse of discretionary powers, Meaningful expenditure of public funds, Illicit enrichment, Institutional integrity, while the radio episodes cover the topics: Public debate, Institutional integrity, Accountability of public officials and institutions, Abuse of discretionary powers, Illicit enrichment.

The last episode rounds up the series and provides conclusions stemming from previous episodes which refer to the widespread presence of corruption in Serbia, means of prevention of corruption and the fight against it.

The episodes are available (only in Serbian) under this text. Short descriptions of the episodes are available here:

ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND INSTITUTIONS (TV and radio episodes)

Accountability in the work of public officials means responsible discharge of professional tasks and it presupposes honesty, impartiality, discipline, adherence to laws and regulations. Accountable institutions are possible only with accountable individuals. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" filmed a story in Valjevo on the decision of the city authorities to incur a debt for the citizens of Valjevo by getting a loan worth 200 million dinars in order to buy property and land of the bankrupt factory Stefil so as to build an industrial zone on this location. Despite promised deadlines, the location is still vacant and deserted, the industrial zone has not come to life yet, while the citizens of Valjevo continue to pay the loan worth 200 million dinars. Officials of Valjevo and experts of the Anti-Corruption Agency talk about whether there is a subjective and objective responsibility of individual public officials in this case.

ABUSE OF DISCRETIONARY POWERS (TV and radio episodes)

As there are unpredictable situations in life, it is not possible to regulate every situation by law. Therefore, laws sometimes authorise a public official to pass a decision according to his/her free will. In other words, they give him/her certain discretionary powers. Naturally, a public official can abuse passing of a decision in such a way. The interviewees in this episode talk about the situations in which we encounter discretionary power, what consequences can stem from them and how to fight against negative consequences. The episode features: Tatjana Babić, director of the Anti-Corruption Agency; judge Omer Hadžiomerović, member of the Judges' Association of Serbia; Bogoljub Lazarević, head of the group for pre-school upbringing and education of the Ministry of Education; and Miljan Mićunović of the Union of Belgrade Schools' Syndicates.

MEANINGFUL EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS (TV episode)

The issue of meaningful expenditure of public funds is most frequently reflected in the dilemma which public interest is more important. When there is not enough money in the budget for all the needs, than the criteria for setting priorities must be clearly defined, which is important not only because of saving money, but also to narrow the possibilities for corrupt behavior and to prevent public officials from setting priorities according to personal and party interests. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" recorded a story in Valjevo which opens numerous questions, among which is the question whether citizens' money is spent in a proper way. Namely, a part of budgetary resources was used for building a sports hall instead for the reparation of houses damaged by earthquake which hit the district of Kolubara 15 years ago. Officials of Valjevo, residents of Mionica and Nemanja Nenadić from the organisation Transparency Serbia talk about whether the money of the citizens of Valjevo and the district of Kolubara was spent in a proper way.

ILLICIT ENRICHMENT (TV and radio episodes)

Most of those who were labeled as the richest in Serbia in 2000, and were suspected of earning their first million owing to links with the regime of Slobodan Milošević, are still high on the list of Serbia's richest people. Why the laws that have been adopted during past 14 years have not managed to correct this injustice? Why no goverment has gone all the way sanctioning those who have illegally accumulated wealth? Are regular criminal proceedings in which the property acquired through crime is confiscated and the law on the confiscation of property acquired through crime sufficient or is it necessary to adopt the Law on the Origin of Property? Answers to these questions in the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" are provided by Čedomir Čupić, who has been advocating for this law for years, Danilo Nikolić, state secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Vladimir Gajić, one of Darko Šarić's lawyers.

INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY (TV and radio episodes)

When we say that an individual has personal integrity, we refer to a person with high moral norms which he/she does not diverge from for short-term or petty interests. In other words, such a person behaves as a responsible social being towards himself/herself and the others with the aim to contribute to the wellbeing of his/her community. The same norms apply to institutions. Namely, integrity in professional conduct presupposes that there are developed rules in the institutions which regulate the implementation of certain standards.

The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" went to Smederevo and talked to the city officials about ways in which the city attempts to build its integrity. Along with the city officials and citizens of Smederevo, the episode features Zlatko Minić, former member of the Board of the Anti-Corruption Agency and Dragana Krunić from the Anti-Corruption Agency who is in charge of monitoring the production and implementation of integrity plans.

PUBLIC DEBATE (Radio episode)

One of the ways in which citizens can influence decisions important for them is public debate. An example was recorded by the team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" in Subotica, where the citizens, having organized a public debate, managed to suspend a decision which envisaged demolition of a thousand houses. The episode features owners of the houses, high officials from Subotica, and Nemanja Nenadić from the organisation Transparency Serbia.

TV EPISODES

16. Odgovornost u radu funkcionera (Accountability of Public Officials and Institutions)

17. Zloupotreba diskrecionog ovlašćenja (Abuse of Discretionary Powers)

18. Svrsishodnost trošenja javnih sredstava (Meaningful Expenditure of Public Funds)

19. Nelegalno bogaćenje (Illicit Enrichment)

20. Integritet institucija (Institutional Integrity)

21. Finalna epizoda (The final episode - Conclusions)

RADIO EPISODES 

16. Javna rasprava (Public Debate)

17. Integritet institucija (Institutional Integrity)

18. Odgovornost u radu funkcionera (Accountability of Public Officials and Institutions)

19. Zloupotreba diskrecionog ovlašćenja (Abuse of Discretionary Powers)

20. Nelegalno bogaćenje (Illicit Enrichment)

21. Finalna epizoda (The final episode - Conclusions)

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union. 

Third cycle of five television and radio episodes of the series „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" (from 11th to 15th) was broadcast between April 7 and 11, 2014, and it is available in this article below the text. Next week new five episodes that were broadcast on ANEM TV and radio stations in the meantime will be available here.

The five television episodes featured here cover the following topics: Conflict of Interest, Pantouflage (fr.), Gift, Misuse of Public Resources, Whistleblower, while the radio episodes cover the topics: Gift, Transparency in the Work of Public Authorities, Oversight and Control of Budget Expenditures, Meaningful Expenditure of Public Funds, Misuse of Public Resources.

The episodes are available (only in Serbian) under this text. Short descriptions of the episodes are available here:

CONFLICT OF INTEREST (TV episode)

Conflict of interest opens the door wide to corruption, abuse of public resources, abuse of power and bribery. That is why the removal of conflict of interest and its prevention is one of the most important mechanisms for dealing with corruption. The most frequent and the most widespread from of this illicit behavior of public officials is simultaneous discarging of executive and legislative authority - for example, simultaneous discharge of the function of a mayor and an MP. Many public officials throughout Serbia have attempted to keep both functions. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" talked about this problem to the mayor of Pirot Vladan Vasić. Experts of the Anti-Corruption Agency and representatives of the non-governmental sector talk about the efficiency of protection mechanisms at the disposal of responsible institutions.

PANTOUFLAGE (TV episode)

Pantouflage, or employment or cooperation of a former public public official with enterprises or organizations the activities of which are related to the public office function the person used to discharge, can lead a former public official into a serious conflict of interest. In order to prevent this, the Law on the Anti-Corruption Agency prescribes that a public official cannot find employment that could lead him into such conflict of interest two years after the end of the public office employment. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" recorded an example of violation of the Law on the Anti-Corruption Agency in Niš, where the former head of the city Directorate for Public Utilities several days after he finished discharging this function found employment in a private enterprise which does business with the city of Niš. Former and current City Council members Biljana Jovanović and Miloš Banđur, and Dejan Milić, head of the Office for Resolving Conflict of Interest of the Anti-Corruption Agency, talk about the consequences of this corruptive phenomenon and legal possibilities for dealing with it.

GIFT (TV and Radio episodes)

What does it mean when a public official receives a gift - is the old Serbian custom not to visit someone emptyhanded merely an act of kindness or can it be, in the case when gifts are given to those with political power, a very powerful and covert means of bribery and corruption? The records on received gifts kept by the Anti-Corruption Agency are extremely important because an attemp at bribery can be hidden behind a custom or a protocolary act. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" talked to Dragan Marković Palma, president of the Municipal Council in Jagodina, who has never, despite legal obligation, disclosed any of the gifts although he often boasted with them in the media. Tatjana Babić, director of the Anti-Corruption Agency and her assistant Dragomir Trninić talk about reasons why the Agency has not initiatied procedures so far for violation of the law on gifts.

MISUSE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES (TV and radio episodes)

Misuse of public resources is using state and public resources for personal purposes or for personal gain by public officials and employees of public authorities. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" recorded an example of misuse of public resources in Niš, where the adviser of the former director general of the Public Utility Company „Tržnice" used to spend the company money for private lunches and hotel accommodation. Nebojša Petrović and Radovan Milojević , former and current directors of „Tržnice" in Niš, and Marko Savić from the Niš branch of the organisation Transparency Serbia talk about mechanisms for the prevention and dealing with misuse in institutions and public enterprises.

WHISTLEBLOWER (TV episode)

Important witnesses of corruption and the abuse of power in institutions and public enterprises are precisely those who work in them. Unfortunately, they rarely summon courage to report corruption because there is still no systemic protection of so-called whistleblowers in Serbia, due to which they suffer grave consequences. Momčilo Cvetković, former head of the Veterinerian Inspection for Jablanica district, who was granted the status of a whistleblower by the Anti-Corruption Agency, talks about his experience. Current mechanisms showed to be insufficient and the adoption of the Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers is one of the priorities in the fight against corruption. Along with Cvetković, others interviewed for the "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" are the director of the Anti-Corruption Agency Tatjana Babić and assistant director Nataša Jelić, the Ombudsman Saša Janković, the head of the Veterinarian Inspection of the Ministry of Agriculture Sanja Čelebićanin.

TRANSPARENCY IN THE WORK OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES (Radio episode)

Transparency in the work of public authorities is a cure for corruption. Being exposed to the public view is particularly important when it comes to disposing with money and public resources. Citizens have a right to know what the authorities are doing and they should insist on this right, together with the media. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" searched for the answer to the question how to achieve this and talked about this issue with Branislav Nedimović, mayor of Sremska Mitrovica, Svetlana Cucanić, editor of "M novine", and Rodoljub Šabić, Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection.

OVERSIGHT AND CONTROL OF BUDGET EXPENDITURES (Radio episode)

Every time you go to a store and buy a product, you are filling up the public budget. From your pocket the money goes to the state budget every time you buy bread, milk, vegetables, meat, when you go to a petrol station or when you pay utilities. However, do you know how your money is being spent, who is supposed to control the spending and how important is the citizens' interest in monitoring how the authorities dispose with public money? The team of the "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" posed these questions to the citizens of Požarevac and the representatives of local authorities which illegally spent 37 million dinars in 2011. The interviewees in this episode are high officals of the city of Požarevac and the president of the State Audit Institution Radoslav Sretenović.

MEANINGFUL EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS (Radio episode)

The issue of meaningful expenditure of public funds is most frequently reflected in the dilemma which public interest is more important. When there is not enough money in the budget for all the needs, than the criteria for setting priorities must be clearly defined, which is important not only because of saving money, but also to narrow the possibilities for corrupt behavior and to prevent public officials from setting priorities according to personal and party interests. The team of the „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" recorded a story in Valjevo which opens numerous questions, among which is the question whether citizens' money is spent in a proper way. Namely, a part of budgetary resources was used for building a sports hall instead for the reparation of houses damaged by earthquake which hit the district of Kolubara 15 years ago. Officials of Valjevo, residents of Mionica and Nemanja Nenadić from the organisation Transparency Serbia talk about whether the money of the citizens of Valjevo and the district of Kolubara was spent in a proper way.

TV EPISODES

11. Sukob interesa (Conflict of Interest) 

12. Pantoflaža (Pantouflage - fr.)

13. Poklon (Gift)

14. Zloupotreba javnih resursa (Misuse of Public Resources)

15. Uzbunjivač (Whistleblower)

RADIO EPISODES 

11. Poklon (Gift)

12. Transparentnost organa javne vlasti (Transparency in the Work of Public Authorities) 

13. Nadzor i kontrola trošenja budžetskih sredstava (Oversight and Control of Budget Expenditures)

14. Svrsishodnost trosenja javnih sredstava (Meaningful Expenditure of Public Funds)

15. Zloupotreba javih resursa (Misuse of Public Resources)

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union. 

Second cycle of five television and radio episodes of the series „Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" (from 6th to 10th) was broadcast between March 31 and April 4, 2014, and they are available in this article below the text. Every following week new five episodes that were broadcast on TV and radio in the meantime will be available here.

The five television episodes featured here cover the following topics: Nepotism and Cronyism, Transparency in the Work of Public Authorities, Public Discussion, Public Officials' Property Cards, Accumulation of Functions, while the radio episodes cover the topics: Public Officials' Property Cards, Accumulation of Functions, Conflict of Interest, Nepotism and Cronyism, Pantouflage (fr.).

The episodes are available (only in Serbian) under this text. Short descriptions of the episodes are available here:

NEPOTISM AND CRONYISM (Radio and TV episodes)

TRANSPARENCY IN THE WORK OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES (TV episode) 

PUBLIC DEBATE (TV episode) 

PUBLIC OFFICIALS' PROPERTY CARDS (Radio and TV episodes)

ACCUMULATION OF FUNCTIONS (Radio and TV episodes) 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST (Radio episode)

PANTOUFLAGE (fr.) (Radio episode) 

TV EPISODES

6. Nepotizam i kronizam (Nepotism and Cronyism)

7. Transaparentnost rada organa (Transparency in the Work of Public Authorities)

8. Javna rasprava (Public Debate)

9. Imovinske karte (Public Officials' Property Cards) 

10. Kumulacija funkcija (Accumulation of Functions) 

 
RADIO EPISODES 

6. Imovinske karte (Public Officials' Property Cards) 

7. Kumulacija funkcija (Accumulation of Functions) 

8. Sukob interesa (Conflict of Interest) 

9. Nepotizam i kronizam (Nepotism and Cronyism)

10. Pantoflaža (Pantouflage) 

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union.

After it was broadcast on 25 television stations and 40 radio stations - members of the ANEM network throughout Serbia - ANEM's radio and TV series "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is now available on the ANEM's website and its YouTube channel.

First five television and radio episodes of the series were broadcast between March 24 and 28, 2014, and they are available in this article below the text. Every following week new five episodes that were broadcast on TV and radio in the meantime will be available here. 

TV EPISODES

1. Percepcija korupcije (Perception of Corruption)

2. Mito (Bribery)

3. Trgovina uticajem (Trading in Influence)

4. Predstavka (Complaint)

5. Nadzor i kontrola (Oversight and Control of Budget Expenditures)

RADIO EPISODES

1. Percepcija korupcije (Perception of Corruption) 

2. Mito (Bribery)

3. Trgovina uticajem (Trading in Influence)

4. Uzbunjivač (Whistleblower)

5. Predstavka (Complaint)

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union.

ANEM's radio and TV series 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption' is the key activity of the project with the same title, implemented in partnership with the Anti-Corruption Agency and with the financial support of the EU.

The series is broadcast as of today, 24 March 2014, on 25 TV stations and 40 radio stations - members of the ANEM network throughout Serbia.

Using local stories/cases, filmed in 16 towns throught Serbia and in Belgrade, as illustrations, with expert explanations understandable to the broad public, the radio and TV series explain chosen key terms related to corruption, its prevention and the fight against corruption.

The radio and TV series consist of 21 episodes each. Each of 20 episodes is devoted to one key term, while the last episode provides a general overview of the state of corruption and the fight against it in Serbia.

Starting today, the episodes will be broadcast every work day during 4 weeks, and the last episode will be broadcast in the 5th week, towards the end of April 2014.

After premier broadcast on the ANEM stations, first five radio and TV episodes will be available as of next week on the ANEM webiste in the section 'Illustrated Glossary od Corruption' and on the ANEM YouTube channel. Every following week another five episodes of the series will be uploaded.

20 terms analyzed in individual episodes of the series can be roughly divided into three categories. The first category contains terms that citizens recognize well, the terms that have been present in the public discourse and life and for some time, such as - 'bribery', 'conflict of interest', 'nepotism', 'accumulation of functions'.

The second category contains insufficiently known, yet very important terms. Thefore, their educative aspect and the explanation of their anti-corruption potential are very important. Such terms are, for instance, 'meaningful expenditure of public funds', 'transparency in the work of public authorities', 'public debate', 'whistleblower' and 'complaint'.

Finally, the chosen terms open issues that are very rarely heard in the public and in the media, while they are of extreme importance, so it is important to motivate citizens, the media, public bodies and organizations to insist on them. These are the issues such as 'oversight and control of budget expenditures', 'accountability of public officials and institutions', introduction of the criminal offence of 'illicit enrichment', or 'institutional integrity'.

The episodes dealing with chosen terms were filmed in the following cities: 'Perception of Corruption' (Bujanovac), 'Bribery' (Požarevac), 'Trading in Influence' (Čačak), 'Complaint' (Užice), 'Oversight and Control of Budget Expenditures' (Požarevac), 'Nepotism and Cronyism' (Niš), ' Transparency in the Work of Public Authorities' (Sremska Mitrovica), 'Public Debate' (Subotica), 'Public Officials' Property Cards' (Novi Sad), 'Accumulation of Functions' (Kikinda), 'Conflict of Interest' (Pirot), 'Pantouflage (fr.) (Niš), 'Gift' (Jagodina), 'Misuse of Public Resources' (Niš), 'Whistleblower' (Bojnik), 'Accountability of Public Officials and Institutions' (Valjevo), 'Abuse of Discretionary Powers' (Knjaževac), 'Meaningful Expenditure of Public Funds' (Mionica), 'Illicit Enrichment' (Belgrade), 'Institutional Integrity' (Smederevo). 

Television series 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption' is broadcast by 25 ANEM stations: 

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union.

On the occasion of the launch of its radio and TV series 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption', ANEM held a press conference in Belgrade on 20 March 2014. The series is the key activity of ANEM project bearing the same title, also presented at the event. The project is implemented in partnership with the Anti-Corruption Agency, and it is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Serbia Programme. The press conference was attended by more than 30 media and journalists, representatives of the media community, responsible authorities and other interested stakeholders.

Presenting the project, Milorad Tadić, president of ANEM, said that ANEM began the implementation of the project 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption' in December 2012, having in mind the role of the media in democratization of the society, and with the intention to contribute to the prevention and fight against corruption. The project duration is 18 months - until May 2014. Tadić underlined that the main partner on the project was the Anti-Corruption Agency and that the project was financed by the European Union.

The main goal of the project is contribution to a more efficient prevention of corruption and the fight against it, Tadić explained and added that ANEM hoped that the project would encourage a more active involvement of citizens and the media in the process. He stated that the project was directed at several target groups - first, at the media and citizens, then at the civil society, but also at the state institutions, with the aim to encourage them in the continued fight against corruption. 

Talking about the project activities, Tadić explained that at the very start of the project consultants prof. Čedomir Čupić, PhD, and Zlatko Minić defined key terms related to corruption which were elaborated in the series consisting of 21 radio and 21 TV episodes. 17 journalists, out of whom 14 from ANEM's local and regional media, worked on the series. Each of the 20 episodes deals with one of the 20 key terms related to corruption, explaining the term by means of illustrating it with a local story/case, with an expert explanation understandable to the broad public. The last, 21st episode, summarizes the previous ones. The episodes were filmed in 16 cities throughout Serbia and in Belgrade.

The series will be broadcast as of 24 March 2014 on 25 TV stations and 40 radio stations throughout Serbia. In Belgrade it will be broadcast on the B92 Info channel, Tadić said. The episodes will be broadcast every work day during 4 weeks, while the last episode will be broadcast in the end of April. After their premiere broadcasting on ANEM stations, the episodes will be posted on the ANEM YouTube channel and on the ANEM website.

The chosen 20 key terms are also the basis for the electronic, textual 'Glossary of Corruption', comprised by prof. Čupić and Zlatko Minić. The publication will be available in May on ANEM website, Tadić said. Within the project, ANEM organized two seminars for media - members of the ANEM network. One of the seminars, which lasted two days, was conducted by the educators from the Anti-Corruption Agency. The other was conducted by renowned journalists Brankica Stanković and Danica Vučenić, and the lawyers from the ANEM legal team. An additional form of education of journalists will be provided in the form of 'The Guide on Reporting on Corruption', prepared by the ANEM legal team. The publication will be available in May 2014 to ANEM members. As the final activity on the project, ANEM will organize a round table in May in Belgrade on the role of the media in the fight against corruption, Tadić said.

Tadić stressed excellent cooperation with the main partner on the project - the Anti-Corruption Agency. He stated that the cooperation between the Agency, as the most important state authority in the fight against corruption, and ANEM, as the largest association of broadcast media in Serbia, was very important effect of the project as it could contribute to better results both in the prevention of corruption and the fight against it.

Addressing the partner cooperation on the project, Vladan Joksimović, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, said that the Agency recognized the project as important and it has been pleased to cooperate with ANEM on it.

Joksimović said that that the media in Serbia were dominated by sensationalist reporting in general, and particularly when it comes to the issue of corruption. The media often violate the presumption of innocence and provide unverified and inaccurate information, which does not contribute to the systemic fight against corruption, but only to sensationalist journalism and boosting circulation of certain media, explained Joksimović. He said that was in the interest of the Agency that journalists understood the issues they reported on and that the information they imparted was accurate and complete. Therefore, the Agency supports every project which develops investigative journalism, and ANEM's project is such.

Joksimović explained that the Agency sees the project 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption' as important because it offered concrete examples and thus opened new possibilities for the citizens to find out more about forms of corrupt behaviour and the role of the independent state authorities in the prevention of it.

Additionally, it is important that through this project the Agency cooperates with civil society organizations and the media on raising anti-corruption awareness, Joksimović said. He also stated as positive the fact that the journalists from local media worked on the series because it could lead to their better understanding of the corruption-related problems and reporting on local circumstances and activities of local public office holders.

Joksimović also stressed that several meetings were held with the Agency representatives, such as with prof. Čupić and Zlatko Minić, now former members of the Board of the Anti-Corruption Agency, who contributed towards formulating and defining the key terms related to corruption.

Finally, Joksimović expressed hope that the public would recognize the proactive approach of the Agency and ANEM in bringing closer to the citizens the terms related to corruption and the fight against it and keeping public better informed about these topics.

Prof. Čedomir Čupić, PhD, consultant on the project, addressed the issue of corruption and the fight against it nowadays in Serbia. He first pointed out the importance of this project because it was systemic, and as such it was important for raising citizens' awareness about what corruption means for their lives and how much it destroyed the lives of individuals as groups, as a great destructive force. He added that it was extremely important to define the key terms related to corruption in a way to bring them closer to citizens of different levels of education.

Systemic corruption is the most dangerous form of corruption, which means that all forms of corruption have inhabited societal systems and that it is difficult to cope with them, said prof. Čupić. There are four such strategic systems in a society: political, economic, social and the value system. When corruption penetrates the systems so deeply, a so-called corrupt way of life emerges, said Čupić and stressed that Serbia is now precisely in such a condition and that there will be no improvement until we face systemic corruption.

Education of citizens and media professionals who cover the fight against corruption are an important part of the complex strategy of the fight against corruption so that the reporting would be sensationalism-free, accurate and based only on material proof, said prof. Čupić.

He stressed that he did not believe that Serbia would manage to cope with systemic corruption until the law regulating origin of property is passed. He also underlined the importance of independent state bodies, above all the Anti-Corruption Agency and the State Audit Institution.

Prof. Čupić stated that without strict punishments for corruption there could be no efficient fight against it and that the penalties should be high, and the span between them small. "Strict punishments are not repression, but prevention", said prof. Čupić.

Zlatko Minić, consultant on the project, talked about chosen terms related to corruption which the series and the textual 'Glossary of Corruption' were based on. He explained that the chosen terms were not the ones which would be the first association on the corruption of an average citizen. Instead, among 20 chosen terms there are ones which reflect corruption in all systems, as well as those referring to mechanisms for prevention of corruption and dealing with it in all areas.

Minić said that the chosen terms could be classified in three categories. The first contains issues that citizens recognize well, those which oppress them and that have entered the public discourse and public life and have been present for long, such as 'accumulation of functions', 'conflict of interest', 'bribery', 'nepotism'. "These terms are the topics covered in the media, they are talked about, and the media are inquiring about them with the Anti-Corruption Agency. There have been a large number of sentences by misdemeanour courts for these deeds, and even more numerous misdemeanour charges filed", said Minić.

The second category of terms contains insufficiently known topics, which are extremely important nevertheless. Therefore, their educative potential and the explanation of their anti-corruption potential is important, i.e. what the authorities can do in the cases such as 'meaningful expenditure of public funds', 'transparency in the work of public authorities'.

Finally, a group of chosen terms opens issues which are very rarely heard in the public and in the media although they are extremely important, and thus prof. Čupić and Zlatko Minić, as consultants, wished to incite citizens, the media, authorities and organizations to insist on these terms, such as 'oversight and control of budget expenditures', 'accountability of public officials and institutions', introduction of the criminal offence of 'illicit enrichment', or the issue of 'institutional integrity', said Minić.

"The entire series should basically give an overview of the system of corruption and the fight against it, with both bad and good examples, as well as possible solutions; it should clarify some terms that politicians wore out by frequent use and turned them into blurred anti-corruption notions; it should encourage action, and we should show that the fight against corruption is not only arrests and announcements of arrests", said Minić and added: "If viewers and listeners of this series begin to recognize some corrupt behaviours which they have ignored so far, if they start to use some of the anti-corruption mechanisms, if they ask themselves what they can do and if they realize that they are a part of the system for the fight against corruption, I will consider this series a great success". 

Aleksandar Janković, executive producer of the series 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption' (which has been filmed and produced for 10 months), said that, before working on the series, the production team had to acquaint itself with the phenomenon of corruption. Seminars organized in cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Agency were of great help towards this end.

The series was filmed in Belgrade and 16 other cities throughout Serbia, said Janković and explained that the production team filmed dozens of state and local public office holders, activists of nongovernmental organizations, activists in the fight against corruption in local communities, but also ordinary people, who are the most affected by the devastating power of corruption.

Janković considers this project good for two key reasons. First, because it was done mainly outside of Belgrade and big centres considering that in smaller cities, as he said, "the devastating power of corruption is incomparably more visible and tangible, everyday and to everyone". Second, the people who the production team interviewed, from the state-level public officials to ordinary people, are very much aware of the existence of corruption, but it is usually talked about as it was "a natural disaster, something that happened regardless of our will", said Janković and added that he hoped that the project would produce awareness at least in some people that corruption is created by all of us and that it is up to us to oppose it.

Jelena Veljković, one of the editors and authors of the series, who also trained local journalists who participated in the series' production, shared her impression that this project could achieve two goals.

The first goal is that the journalists learn as much as possible about corruptive processes so that they can recognize every form of corruption and understand what corruption is, considering that the media have a special and a very important role in recognizing corruption, exposing it and in the fight against it. 

The second goal would be that we impart all of it to the audience, citizens of Serbia, in an illustrative and a very clear way, so that they recognize corruption without doubt", said Veljković and shared her impression that in the situation of the systemic corruption in Serbia the citizens understood corruption as a usual pattern of behaviour and were not able to identify what corruption was and what it was not.

"I think that this series is very valuable because we tried, by means of illustrating the key terms related to corrupt behaviour, to make them come alive although they often sound incomprehensible and dry. These are the terms such as 'plan of integrity' or 'institutional integrity'. We often hear them, but we are not sure what they mean", said Jelena Veljković.

She said that the series also contained terms which were rarely used, such as 'pantouflage' or 'cronyism', and that the production team, together with the colleagues from the ANEM network's radio and TV stations, found an example for each of the terms, which helped them to explain fully each term and to show ways and mechanisms by which these forms of corruption could be fought.

Svetlana Kojanović, ANEM's journalist from Čačak, who participated in the production of the series, thinks that the greatest value of the project, along with its hot topic and the topic's importance, is the fact that ANEM included local media in the project. The reason is that at the local level it is rarely discussed how big a problem is corruption, and the media have no courage to grapple with it because they are suffocating under economic problems and some are under economic pressure from local authorities, waiting for funds from them to survive through hard times. Kojanović added that this series, as it would be broadcast by a large number of ANEM stations, would be an opportunity for journalists, especially young ones, to understand that they have to find courage to deal with corruption-related topics.

Kojanović stated that it is very difficult to cover corruption in local communities, "where everyone knows everyone else, where retribution is much larger and much scarier that in a big city such as Belgrade", where one needs real courage to start covering corruption. She thinks that the projects such as 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption', implemented by the association which backs up journalists, give a chance to local media to start to deal with corruption-related topics. She stressed that the idea to enter local communities with this project was excellent and that it would be good that such projects continue to be financially supported, so that the corruption would be talked about as much as possible in local communities.

Sandra Mandić, the other editor and the author of the series, who also trained local journalists who participated in the series' production, thinks that the importance of the series is in the fact that the journalists cooperated, exchanged information and thoughts related to corruption, and many of them then continued to cover corruption for their newsrooms.

"When we talked to the citizens, conducting vox pops in many episodes, we noticed that the awareness of the negative effects of corruption has moved forward, which shows that media and nongovernmental organizations which deal with corruption have influence and effect after all", said Mandić and added that the citizens recognized the fact that they should be included more actively in the monitoring and control of public spending and that the problem may lies precisely in the fact that they have not been interested enough to contribute in this domain.

Mandić stated that the journalists working on the series had an excellent cooperation with the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, the Ombudsman, Transparency Serbia and many nongovernmental organizations in smaller cities throughout Serbia.

Ivana Petrović, ANEM journalist from Niš, who participated in the series' production, said that in Niš "there is every form of corruption in every institution, in every segment of the society". She said that she instantly had an example when the chosen key terms that the series is based on were explained during training of journalists within the project. She also stated that she found vox pops during filming of the series very interesting as it showed that the corruption became taken for granted and the people see it as a common thing.

According to Petrović, the series 'Illustrated Glossary of Corruption' reached its full importance during the election campaign. As she stated, if there had not been this project, she would not have recognized much of the corrupt behaviour happening in her own city in the pre-election time and she would not have reported about it. When the series will be broadcast, many people will know about it.

She stated that journalists in local communities, especially young ones, including in Niš, have little interest in doing their job seriously. Instead, they see journalism as making friendships with public office holders in local authorities and taking statements from politicians, while "the politicians in the city do not feel obliged to treat media with understanding and respect", she said and added that she believes that the series will help to encourage journalists so that they understand that corruption is a topic to be covered.

"I think that all of us - ANEM, production team and the journalists - did a very good job which will be useful to all of us", concluded Ivana Petrović. 

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union.

Corruption in focus is the title of the new section on ANEM website, by which we want to attract public attention to the problem of corruption and enable interested parties to find relevant articles dealing with this issue in one place. This section contains the news on the problem of corruption in Serbia and abroad, primarily in the region. Therefore, the visitors of our website will be able to get to know the problem of corruption better, to understand and identify easier its consequences on the development of society and their everyday lives and to compare domestic situation in this field with the situation in other countries, primarily from the region. In this way, ANEM will strive to increase the number of interested parties as well as their motivation for fighting corruption.

Starting from December 2012, ANEM has been implementing its 18-month-long project titled Illustrated Glossary of Corruption, in cooperation with Anti-Corruption Agency and with the support from the European Union. The project is aimed at contribution to more effective prevention and fight against corruption, by active involvement of citizens and media in this process. Key project activity is the creation of the multimedia "Glossary of Corruption", namely radio and television series, as well as the electronic textual Glossary, which will be available through various media platforms to serve the citizens and the media to be informed about corruption and its forms, as well as the ways in which they can get engaged in the solving of this problem. This new section on ANEM website is the support to the said project.

SECTION CORRUPTION IN FOCUS IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN SERBIAN here.

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The production of radio and TV series "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" has started, as part of the activities of the eponymous ANEM project.

After the workshop held in May 2013, when local journalists-correspondents were selected for carrying out specific investigative assignments on location, four local stories were prepared in June to illustrate four selected terms related to corruption. The materials for the series' episodes were recorded in Uzice, Pozarevac and Subotica, describing the terms - 'complaint', 'bribery', 'oversight and control of budget expenditures' and 'public debate'. Currently, recording of the rest of materials for these programs is underway.

The main part of the series' episodes will consist of local stories that adequately illustrate 20 selected terms related to corruption. The recording of stories for the rest of 16 terms is being prepared.

The production of the series is done by ANEM production team from Belgrade, in cooperation with local journalists-correspondents from ANEM local stations. The series is comprised of 21 radio and 21 TV episodes. The production of the series will be concluded in February 2014 and the programs will be aired on ANEM radio and TV stations across Serbia. In addition to the series, the production of promotional radio jingle, TV spot and website banner is foreseen, as promotional tools to be used at the press conference for announcing and timely informing the audience about the launch of the series.

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The contents of this text are the sole responsibility of ANEM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views and stands of the European Union.

The workshop ANEM organized for its most successful journalists, selected at the internal competition to participate in the production of the series "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" as journalists-correspondents, was held on May 16, 2013 in Belgrade. The aim of this workshop was to present to the journalists the concept of episodes that will be produced within the series, as well as to provide them with explanation of their role and tasks in the production. The workshop was organized as part of the activities of the ANEM project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption", supported by the European Union.

The workshop was conducted by members of the ANEM production team - Aleksandar Jankovic, executive producer and editor of the series, journalists Jelena Veljkovic and Sandra Mandic, who are also trainers in this project, as well as Zlatko Minic - journalist and an anti-corruption expert.

12 out of 14 journalists-correspondents selected from ANEM member stations across Serbia participated in the workshop: Oliver Trajkovic from Bujanovac, Novka Ilic from Uzice, Dragica Pavlov Krstic from Pirot, Dijana Suboticki from Kikinda, Ivana Petrovic from Nis, Darija Rankovic from Valjevo, Miodrag Sovilj from Novi Sad, Sandra Irsevic from Subotica, Dijana Scekic Astalkovski from Sremska Mitrovica, Milan Petrovic from Knjazevac, Uros Urosevic from Pozarevac and Tatjana Djuric from Smederevo. Journalists-correspondents from stations across the country were selected in the internal competition carried out by ANEM among its members during March and April.

In this workshop, which served as the editorial meeting, members of the production team from Belgrade provided detailed explanations to local journalists-correspondents with regards to their role and responsibilities in the production of the series "llustrated Glossary of Corruption". Also, 20 selected terms related to corruption, to be illustrated in the episodes by means of relevant local stories, were carefully considered and individually explained. Every journalist-correspondent was assigned with a specific topic/term related to corruption and precisely defined tasks related to research of relevant stories, writing of synopses of local stories, providing contacts with interlocutors, logistical support for the organization of the recording, participation in the recording of the materials, as well as other forms of collaboration with lead journalists/trainers. Additionally, the journalists-correspondents were introduced to the concept of episodes to be produced under this project, while a special emphasis was given to the work methodology, research and preparation for the recording of the programs.

The series "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" will consist of 21 radio and 21 TV episodes. Each of 20 radio and 20 TV episodes will treat one out of 20 key terms related to corruption, selected and defined by experts of the Anti-Corruption Agency, while the 21st episode, both radio and TV, will represent a retrospective of all the previous ones and analysed terms related to corruption. The episodes will contain a significant educational component in order to contribute to educating citizens about corruption, its various forms and mechanisms of preventing and combating it. The series will be broadcast at the beginning of 2014 on ANEM local and regional radio and TV stations across Serbia.

The results of the survey, completed by the workshop participants, show that the workshop has reached its objective - to make the concept of programs, roles in the production and concrete assignments completely clear to journalists-correspondents. Participants in the workshop also assessed that this kind of preparation was deemed extremely important and that it would significantly contribute to quality of their work.

ANEM's Project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" is financed by the European Union within the Civil Society Facility Programme.

The second seminar, which ANEM organized for its members as part of the activities within the project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption", was held on March 29, 2013, in Belgrade. The leading trainers at the seminar were two prominent journalists Brankica Stankovic and Danica Vučenic, who gave lectures on the principles and techniques of investigative journalism, with particular emphasis on the area of ​​corruption, as well as the process of making TV and radio features. Besides the two journalists, expert lawyers of the ANEM legal team from the law office "Zivkovic&Samardzic" - Slobodan Kremenjak and Kruna Savovic - gave lectures on freedom and legal boundaries of investigative journalism, particularly in the area of ​​corruption. The seminar was attended by 22 journalists from ANEM stations and 2 members of ANEM production team. The aim of this seminar was to enable journalists of ANEM stations to acquire knowledge and to receive expert and practical advice and explanations of how to professionally report on topics related to corruption without overstepping legal limits.

Journalist Danica Vucenic spoke about the origins of investigative journalism, its principles and techniques, particularly related to radio journalism. With her practical advice and specific examples, she explained to the participants how radio features are done, particularly those treating topics of corruption. Special attention was paid to: principles of investigative journalism (real investigative journalism relies on information from reliable sources - public, such as the Internet, libraries, documents, archives, etc., anonymous sources, whereby journalists must cross-check at least two opposing sources, as well as "confidential sources" in order to confirm and substantiate specific information, which is also important for the protection of media from potential lawsuits); the differences between making features for TV and radio (what distinguishes radio from TV is primarly dominating sound, more personal communication with the audience, direct addressing to an individual; key question and a challenge - how to present topics of corruption with no images, no speakers who could be seen or graphics and cover shots, usually used on TV; all of the above needs to be depicted with words so that it is understandable and interesting to the listener; journalists have to create a sound atmosphere in the radio feature that draws the audience into the story); radio packages/features dealing with themes of corruption (any radio piece, package of 2-3 minutes in duration or feature of 5-7 minutes, has two parts - introduction and the "body", comprising a unified piece; introduction should be short, clear, interesting, and it draws the listener into the whole story - the introduction contains key information discovered during the research/investigative work and is read by the radio host/speaker in the studio, not by a journalist who was working on the piece, which gives the journalist the freedom to create the body of the story the way he/she wants, describing to the listener his/her impressions of what he/she has discovered; radio package of 2-3 minutes contains an answer to only one key question, whereas the package of 5-7 minutes may contain an answer to one key question and one minor additional question or an explanation that is part of that context - this package should include two to three speakers who are involved in the story, protagonists, witnesses, and one or two persons to explain the whole story (vox pop, maybe) and one sound segment that cannot be longer than 15 to 20 seconds - 30 seconds at the most; emotion in the piece is very important; the role of interlocutors in the piece is not to reveal the news, but to explain it, comment on it, describe the situation and share their feelings about the event; person suspected to have committed a corrupt activity is the last to be interviewed, with prior thorough investigation of all relevant aspects; it is critical for interviews to be well prepared, to predict possible answers and the corresponding additional questions in order to obtain desired information from the interviewee). At the end of her lecture, Danica Vucenic advised the present journalists to continue to follow stories and topics that will be treated in this project, to keep them "rolling", to take different approaches to the topics, to present different angles, in different segments of the program, because keeping the story rolling is the only way for these stories to become meaningful and take effect.

Journalist Brankica Stankovic, editor and author of the series "Insider", and Miodrag Cvorovic, producer of the series, shared their experiences in making of this renowned investigative documentary TV series. They described the process, techniques and principles of work in investigative journalism. They also explained work phases in investigative TV programs: a journalist must first read everything ever published on a selected topic, as well as examine laws and regulations concerning the area to which the topics are related; that being done, a journalist or a team needs to draft a list of potential participants, those who will participate in the programs as well as those who can help out by providing information; their contacts are obtained and off-the-record interviews conducted, with all the collected information being written down; at the same time, competent authorities are being contacted with requests for information; then, the story plan with crossed-checked information obtained and analyzed is made; when the journalist is absolutely sure he/she has all the relevant information and the story worked out, then the interviews are recorded; then, visual and graphic solutions are done, video archives is prepared, as well as dramatization and reconstructions; only when all interviewees are recorded and material and documentation collected, then the journalist starts preparing the text for the editing; prior to entering the editing studio, legal team reviews the material. Trainers also discussed with the participants the specifics of investigative journalism in relation to the daily neswroom: investigative journalism requires the engagement of a team of journalists; each topic requires a lot of time, as opposed to the "daily newsroom" journalism - this is quite difficult, but not impossible to ensure in local newsrooms; particularly important are the sources, communication and establishing a relationship based on mutual trust; also very important is the unconditional support of media editors. The trainers also talked about the problems and challenges of this genre of journalism. The participants and lecturers agreed that investigative journalism in Serbia is expensive and difficult to practice, that journalists and media are exposed to constant pressure, that the problem is usually pushed under the rug instead of being openly spoken about in public, and that the role of the media in informing the public about social problems and public pressure created by using the media are very important for resolving these problems and the development of society, which is generally lacking, especially at the local level.

Lawyers Slobodan Kremenjak and Kruna Savovic warned journalists to what they should pay particular attention when investigating and preparing radio and TV features, to avoid the risk of getting sued. What is most important is that journalists double check everything and obtain all the documents and supporting materials before they release the story. They should also pay particular attention to all parts of the story/program, including, for example, TV cover shots - what is presented to the public and how it is presented. Also, journalists should not "pass judgments" - the courts should do that - journalists should rather tell a story in such a way that the viewer/listener can easily conclude from the presented evidence who is responsible (or not), to be able to draw their own conclusions on the basis of the information and evidence provided. The audience does not have to be presented with all available evidence, but it is mandatory that such materials exist for every or any information released to the public, in case of a legal proceedings being initiated (materials such as copies of criminal complaints, requests to the Prosecutor's Office and courts with reference to the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, responses of prosecution and courts etc.). It is particularly important to take into account possible claims for defamation and insult, for expressing value judgments (insult) or conveying erroneous facts (defamation). Journalists were warned that decriminalization of defamation does not mean that journalists could not be sued for defamation, but it means that only civil proceedings could be led for defamation, not criminal proceedings. Although the law says that the media/journalists are not liable for damages if the information is faithfully conveyed from a document of the competent authority, it has happened that courts interpreted this otherwise, which is why the information conveyed in this way should be additionally checked. The lawyers emphasized that journalists should be particularly careful when providing information concerning minors.

The participants were also addressed by Sasa Mirkovic, ANEM President, as well as the representatives of the ANEM team for the implementation of the project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption". They have provided basic information about the project objectives, activities and phases of the project and different forms of participation of ANEM stations in its implementation (training for journalists, participation in the production, broadcasting, participation in promotional activities). Special attention was paid to the internal competition, called by ANEM, for selecting journalists-correspondents who will participate in the production of the radio and TV series. It was explained in detail to the present journalists what is expected of them as participants in the competition, and what will be the obligations of those selected to take part in the production.

With the prominent lecturers, who shared with the participants of the seminar their high professional skills and knowledge on various  aspects of investigative journalism in the area of ​​corruption (both journalistic and legal) as well as their professional and practical advice on how to report on corruption, with provided explanation and answers to questions of the participants, the seminar achieved great effect and journalists of ANEM stations significantly improved their knowledge in this field, which they will be able to use in their future professional dealing with these topics.

Within the project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption", ANEM organized, in cooperation with its project partner, the Anti-Corruption Agency, a seminar "Mechanisms for preventing corruption in Serbia". The seminar was intended for journalists of ANEM stations, who had the opportunity to acquire theoretical knowledge about corruption, its forms and mechanisms for the prevention and combating it. Due to a great response and interest of journalists, the seminar was held for two days in a row, on February 27 and 28, 2013, for different participants, in the premises of the Anti-Corruption Agency and with Agency's trainers. The seminar was attended by 27 journalists from ANEM radio and TV stations, as well as 2 members of the ANEM production team.

The seminar was divided into several thematic sections. Nine trainers from the Agency, coming from different sectors of the institution, provided the participants with essential information about corruption and mechanisms for its prevention and combating it, main competencies of this independent state body, especially those related to conflict of interest, control of financing of political entities, register and control of officials, property and gifts. Lecturers also acquainted seminar participants with the complaints of citizens, protection of whistleblowers, as well as with the legal framework relevant for this field. In the focus of the lectures were also selected key terms related to corruption that will be covered in the radio and TV series, to be produced within the project. 

During the introductory lecture, journalists were able to learn that there are several definitions of corruption, and that it is interpreted, in the broadest sense, as any abuse of office by a state employee or a person holding public office (official), with the aim of acquiring personal and/or financial benefit; that there are two levels of corruption - high (political) and lower, administrative level; about the causes and consequences of corruption and corrupt behavior; about the most common forms of corruption, with the particular emphasis on patronage (assigning positions or benefits to individuals regardless on the qualities - nepotism, with family members), bribery (the act of offering money, services or other value to receive benefits in return), fraud (theft of state property/public goods by public officials) etc; about perception of corruption, how it is measured and why it is important; about integrity (personal, institutional, and social), as a term contrary to the term 'corruption' and accordingly, accountability and transparency were discussed as prerequisites for effective, efficient and fair management in the public authorities.

Particular focus of the seminar was also put on the conflict of interest, defined by the Agency as a situation in which an official has a private interest that affects, may affect or may be perceived to affect actions of the official in discharge of public office or official duties in a manner that compromises public interest. Each of these situations was individually explained through examples. Participants learned who is called an official and who associated persons are considered to be, what a public office is and what the rules relating to the discharge of multiple functions or other jobs or activity are - for example, that there is legal prohibition on the discharge of any other public office, with few exceptions; that an official may not perform other jobs or engagements during his tenure in public office that requires full-time or permanent work contract to be signed, with few exceptions, nor may he/she establish a commercial company/public service/commence engagement in private occupation during tenure of public office; also, that an official is obliged to inform his/her superior and the Agency regarding any doubts concerning possible conflict of interest or the situation of conflict of interest he/she or an associated person may be in etc. The participants were informed in detail about the competences and practices of the Agency in this area in accordance with the Law on the Anti-Corruption Agency, such as giving opinions, directives and answers to questions regarding the application of regulations concerning the resolution of conflicts of interest; giving or denying consent in connection with official's request for discharge of other public function, job/activity; acting on complaints (submitted by citizens or ex officio) and pronouncing appropriate measures against officials for violation of provisions of the Agency's Law or other legislation containing provisions on preventing conflict of interest; filing misdemeanor charges.

In the part of the seminar dealing with the control of financing of political entities (political parties, coalitions, citizens' groups), journalists were given explanations to the solutions provided in the Law on the financing of political activities. Journalists learnt that there are two types of sources of financing of political entities - public, which is allocated, under equal conditions, to all political entities, and private (membership fee, contribution, inheritance, legacy, property income and bank loans); what the maximum value is that individuals and legal entities may donate to political entities on an annual basis; in which cases financing of political entities is banned; what the difference is between the financing of regular work of political entities and the financing of election campaign costs and, within that, the obligation of political entities to keep records (accounting and special records of contributions, gifts, property, etc.), to report to the Agency (by filing the annual financial statements and reports on the costs of the election campaign), open a separate account for election campaign; what electoral guarantee is, as the new legal obligation of political entities using public funds to finance election campaigns; the competences of the Agency in this area and its powers in the event of violation of the law (such as warnings, filing misdemeanor or criminal charges, a decision on the loss of the right to public funds for the following year, a decision on temporary suspension of the transfer of funds from public sources until the adoption of a final decision in a criminal or misdemeanor proceedings).

Also, in a separate segment of the seminar, journalists could hear about the records kept by the Agency and what they included - Registry of officials, Registry of property of officials, Catalogue of gifts, as well as search options of these records; reports that an official is required to submit to the Agency (regular reports on property and income of official and associated persons - within 30 days of election, appointment or nomination and within 30 days of termination of public office of the official concerned, as well as special reports, in case of significant changes in the reported data), and which officials are not required to file reports; gifts - an official must not accept gifts in connection with the discharge of public office, except protocol gift or other appropriate gift, but not even then if the gift is in money or securities; an official is obliged to report any gift received in connection with the discharge of public office and to hand it over to the competent authority, with few exceptions; even the associated person of an official must not receive gifts in connection with the discharge of public office of the official in question, with few exceptions; when the official is obliged to refuse the gifts; the body in which the official holds public office shall keep records of gifts and deliver it to the Agency. Participants also learned that the body in which the public official holds public office is required to report the official's taking of public office as well as termination of office; the official is required to transfer its management rights, but his/her management function cannot be transferred; the legal entity in which an official owns a stake/shares, is obliged to notify the Agency of the process of privatization and public procurement in which it participates; the Agency controls the data provided by officials in cooperation with other relevant institutions and bodies. In the event of violation of the Law concerning said obligations, the Agency files misdemeanor charges, except in one case when Agency files criminal charges - when official fails to report property to the Agency or gives false information about the property. Journalists have also learnt more about the integrity plans - that they include measures to prevent and eliminate possibilities for the emergence and development of corruption, which public authorities are required to adopt, as well as that the Agency monitors their adoption and implementation.

In the last lecture - the complaints of citizens and the protection of whistleblowers, journalists found out more about the complaints of citizens, who used them to point to the corruption cases or express their suspicion of corrupt activities; the complaints may be filed by both natural and legal persons, only in writing, by email or post, in the form of motion or exact form which could be found, together with the request form for protection of whistleblowers, on the website of the Agency; the Agency acts on the complaint, analyzes the case in question and requests additional information from other authorities, since the Agency does not have investigative powers; in these cases, other authorities are obliged to  cooperate with the Agency. Also, journalists learned that the status of a whistleblower can be given to a person who is employed by a public authority and reports suspicions of corrupt behavior in the body where he/she works; besides the complaint, this person also submits a request for protection; the Agency protects whistleblowers from retaliation of responsible persons; the whistleblower cannot be fired for two years from obtaining the status of whistleblower; the Agency acts on complaints and whistleblower complaints relating to events starting from January 1, 2010, namely the date of the Law coming into force, and although it is not obliged to act on anonymous complaints, the Agency still does so, whenever possible.

In the opinion of journalists, the seminar was rated as very high in quality. They obtained new knowledge on corruption, its forms and mechanisms for preventing and combating it, that are applicable to their future research and reporting on issues of corruption, which was the aim of the seminar. Of particular importance to the journalists was interaction with lecturers, who provided them with specific answers to their questions, in addition to expert information and explanation.

The media play the key role in the democratization of society. As the essential factor in the creation of public opinion, they greatly influence raising of the public awareness of the importance and ways of dealing with great social problems, corruption being among the biggest ones. Striving to contribute to a more effective prevention and fight against corruption, by active involvement of citizens and media in this process, in December 2012 ANEM started the implementation of the project "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption". The project has been implemented in cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Agency as the main project partner.

With this project, ANEM strives to accomplish several specific objectives - to contribute to raising public awareness and understanding of corruption, its forms and mechanisms for preventing and fighting it; to build capacity of media, primarily local and regional radio and TV stations in ANEM membership, for investigating and reporting on corruption; to strengthen the role of media in prevention and fight against corruption and to stimulate them to step up in their independent and continuous dealing with this problem; to contribute to building of cooperation between civil society, media and relevant bodies dealing with anti-corruption, in prevention and fight against corruption; to influence transparency, openness and accountability of public administration, public services and holders of public office.

In order to achieve the set objectives, a number of activities will be carried out during 18 months of the project. To meet the needs of the project, the experts from the Anti-Corruption Agency will select and define a set of key terms related to corruption. These terms will be the basis for the creation of the multimedia "Glossary of Corruption", namely radio and television series, as well as the electronic textual Glossary, which will be available through various media platforms to serve the citizens and the media as a source of information about corruption and its forms, as well as the ways in which they can get engaged in combating them.

ANEM series will consist of 21 radio and 21 TV episodes, in which 20 selected key terms related to corruption will be illustrated with local stories/case studies, with an expert explanation understandable to the general public and presentation of anti-corruption mechanisms of prevention and fighting corruption which are at citizens' disposal. The programs, which will be completed in early 2014, will be broadcast on ANEM regional and local radio and TV stations across Serbia during March and April 2014, in the form of an intensive two-month long media campaign aimed at educating citizens and the media, as well as encouraging them to take up their role in the fight against this negative social phenomenon. Selected journalists of ANEM radio and TV stations will take part in production work. Under the guidance and mentorship of experienced production team, they will go through workshop training and practical educational process during the work on the programs, which will facilitate their future independent reporting on corruption. In addition to this, two seminars will be organized for the purpose of educating journalists to deal with this sensitive topic - the first one, led by educators of the Anti-Corruption Agency, will increase journalists' knowledge on various aspects of the corruption phenomenon, while the second one, led by distinguished journalists and lawyers from the ANEM legal department, will enable journalists to learn how to cover these topics in a quality and professional manner.

A Guide on reporting on corruption, which will be available to journalists of ANEM stations, will be another form of support to the education of journalists in reporting on corruption.

During the project, ANEM will also organize public and promotional events (a round table and a press conference) and conduct various other activities for the purpose of the project's promotion.

You will be able to follow all the latest news and information on the activities of the "Illustrated Glossary of Corruption" on the ANEM's web site (where selected radio and TV programs will also be available) and in ANEM Newsletter that is distributed regularly.