Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, 9. September 2016 - A coalition of journalists' and media associations, consisting of UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Local Press, urge local authorities in Babusnica to withdraw Decision on appointment of the commission for the assessment of media projects and to appoint members to the said Commission in accordance with the Law on Public Information and Media, as well as the Rules of the co-financing of projects serving the public interest in the area of public information.

Contrary to the Law, which provides that the Commission for the selection of project proposals shall be composed of the majority of the members proposed by journalists' and media associations, if such proposal exists, Babusnica municipality has failed to act upon any of the three proposals sent by the Coalition. As this municipality told the Commission, the local government has appointed a commission consisted of members that are not nominated by journalists' and media associations.

In the response, in Babusnica Municipality have pointed out that the proposal of the Coalition of journalists' and media associations "is not valid because it does not have the seal of the Coalition", and that "it has failed to submit an agreement between the members of the Coalition, which confirms the joint nomination of candidates". They also said that they did not want to bother checking whether the proposal had indeed been sent by the Coalition, as "among the candidates there are no journalists from Pirot District".

Coalition of journalists' and media associations will inform the Ministry of Culture and Information about this breach of the Law in Babusnica.

The Coalition reminds the relevant authorities and the public of the fact that it has been monitoring the legality of the competitions for co-financing of media content at both the local and the provincial level, since the very beginning of the implementation of new media laws.

Journalists' Association of Serbia (JAS), Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (IJAS), Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (IJAV), Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), Business Association Local Press

 Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)
Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)
Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)
Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)
Business Association Lokal Pres

BELGRADE/NOVI SAD/KRAGUJEVAC, July 1st, 2016 - A coalition of journalists' and media associations (UNS, NUNS, NDNV, PU Lokal Pres and ANEM) express their regrets over the fact that the Culture and Information Ministry has requested clarification on the criteria set by the Commission in selecting projects of electronic and online media, after the deadline for implementation of the competition for co-financing of production of media content.

The Coalition notes that the Regulations for the realization of public interests in the field of public information stipulates that if the minister "finds the Commission has acted in contrary to the provisions of the Act, the Regulations as well as the conditions set out in the Call for proposals, or that its proposal of selected projects contains other obvious irregularities, the Minister may request that the Commission correct the irregularities and make necessary adjustments to the proposal within the prescribed deadline".

The Ministry's statement does not, however, specify that the Commission has indeed acted contrary to the Act, the Regulations and the conditions of the Call, or that is proposal has had any errors or irregularities. The Ministry has simply stated that "there is a need for clarification of the criteria used by the Commission". However, such request does not fall within the prescribed framework.

The Coalition reminds on the fact that the Commission has been appointed by the Minister's decision and that the deadline for competition of the sad Call has already expired, within which deadline eight commissions had timely completed their work. The Coalition also points out that any delay in signing of a decision not based on the Act, Regulations and conditions of the Call is unacceptable, much like any public discrediting of the Commission and its work on the Ministry's website.

The Coalition notes that the Ministry is already late with the publication of final results of the Call and allocation of funds to print media and productions, for which two other commissions have already given their justified proposal.

The Coalition states that the point in co-financing media content production projects every year is to timely allocate funds to media and that the Ministry has already been six months late in doing their job.

Belgrade, 11/8/2015 - The Coalition of Journalist and Media Association consisting of UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Lokal Pres has requested from the authorities in Zrenjanin to conform the open competition for the co-financing the production of media content to the Law on Public Information and Media and the Rulebook on the co-financing of projects for the realization of public interest in the field of Public Information.

The City of Zrenjanin has issued a public call for participating in the open competition for co-financing projects for the realization of public interest in the field of public information through electronic media on the territory of the City of Zrenjanin in 2015, where the right to participation, contrary to the Law on Public Information and Media, is limited only to those electronic media and media that are seated on the territory of the City of Zrenjanin and whose programming has been accessible on the territory of the City in the previous 25 years. In addition, the public interest in the field of public information is related to the coverage of activities of public authorities. This is the wrong perception of public interest as referred to in Article 15 of the Law, while the criteria for the allocation of funds are set in a discriminatory way, since it places in a more favorable position media that have 60-minute news bulletins and live broadcasts of the sessions of the local assembly.

The Coalition said that the media coverage of the activities of local government is merely a negligible segment of the public interest and if it serves the sole purpose of promoting the local authorities, then it does not meet the definition of public interest as provided for in Article 15 of the Law. We remind that the live broadcasts of the local authorities, including the local assembly, are not an obligation of the media, whereas the public interest in the field of public media also includes the production of media content, enabling the citizens to receive objective, unbiased and timely information about all the necessary aspects of life in the local community.

The competition is to a large extent set so as to realize the "public interest" by enabling to a specific media outlet to broadcast the activity of local authorities, as evidenced in the concrete situation by the fact that the competition was requested by an electronic media outlet, which has been registered in Zrenjanin for 25 years and which airs a total of 60 minutes of news on daily basis, including the broadcasts of "Developments and activities organized by the Zrenjanin City Assembly and the Zrenjanin City Council. We remind that, pursuant Article 17 of the Law on Public Information and Media, the public authorities are obligated to allocate funds for the realization of public interest on the basis of open competitions, under the principle of allocating state aid and protection of competition, without discrimination. Meanwhile, Article 21 of the same Law prescribes that eligible to participate in the competition is every media publisher that is registered with the Media Register and the legal person or entrepreneur engaged in the production of media content (which entrepreneur and publisher must submit proof that the co-financed media content will be realized through the media). Not allowed to participate are the publishers whose media are not registered with the Register, as well as those funded from public revenues. Therefore, the provisions of the competition may not deny to the media their statutory right to compete with their projects. In that sense, placing certain media in a more favorable position at the detriment of others constitutes a direct violation of the provisions of the aforementioned articles of the Law.

The Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations has informed the local government in Zrenjanin about all irregularities of the competition and it expects it to conform the competition to the regulations.

The Coalition reminds that it will not participate in the procedures that are not conformed to regulations and that it will not propose candidates for commissions in local governments that have shunned the Law.

The Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations will inform the Ministry of Culture and Media about all identified irregularities after the monitoring of the competitions for project co-financing of media content,. 

The Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations:

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Business Association Local Press

Belgrade, July 22, 2015 - The Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations believes that the decision of the Municipality of Prokuplje to establish a competition commission for assessing the project for the realization of public interest in the field of the media, adopted on July 13, is not in accordance with the Rulebook of the Ministry of Culture and Media.

We remind that under Article 20 of the said Rulebook, eligible for appointment in the competition commission are persons that are independent media experts or media professionals, which must not be in a conflict of interest or occupy public office. We hereby want to point to the fact that the Head of the Public Relations Department of the Municipality of Prokuplje has been appointed to the commission, which is in contravention of the aforementioned Article of the Rulebook of the Ministry of Culture and Media.

We call on the competent bodies of the Municipality of Prokuplje to revise the decision on establishing the competition commission and conform it to the provisions of the Rulebook.

Furthermore, we remind that the Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations didn't propose its candidates for membership in the commission in Prokuplje, as the local administration refused to remedy the irregularities in the competitions that had been promptly identified by the Coalition.

We want to stress that the Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations is carrying out a comprehensive monitoring of the enforcement of media laws and the activity of independent commissions for the co-financing of media project in accordance with public interest.

The Coalition consists of the Association of Journalists of Serbia, the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina, the Association of Independent Electronic Media and PU "Lokal pres".

UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and PU ‘'Lokal pres''

Belgrade, July 22, 2015 - The Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations demands from the city authorities in Novi Sad to publicly say which were the journalist and media associations that proposed the members of the commission that decided about the procedure of the open competition for the co-financing of media projects from the budget of the City of Novi Sad in 2015.

In view of the results of the competition, we demand that Mayor Vucevic, who signed the decision on appointing the members of the commission, answers which parameters were these members selected against, since not a single of the candidates of our representative associations was chosen, despite the fact that the proposals were submitted on time. The requested answers will perhaps clarify how the funds from the city budget are allocated through the competition, based on which certain associations received funds on four or five grounds.

UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Lokal pres  

Belgrade, July 22, 2015 - The Coalition of Journalist and Media Associations, consisting of NUNS, UNS, NDNV, ANEM and Lokal pres, says that the decision on the allocation of funds on the competition for the co-financing of media content production projects in the Municipality of Zagubica has been passed in serious violation of the Law on Public Information and Media and the Rulebook on the financing of projects for the realization of public interest in the field of public information. The Coalition calls upon the competent authorities to promptly remedy all irregularities.

Under the Law and the Rulebook, the publishers of media funded from the public budget are not eligible for taking part in the competition. Under the decision on the allocation of funds for the co-financing of projects, signed by the President of the Municipality of Zagubica Safet Pavlovic, that municipality has allocated as much as four million dinars, i.e. two-thirds of the funds earmarked for that purpose, to a media outlet that is not only financed from public revenues, but is also indirectly owned by the municipality.

The funds were namely allocated to "Radio Homolje", established by the Center for Culture and Education "Jovan Serbanovic", a municipal institution that, according to the latest available newsletter on the website of the municipality, received from the budget of Municipality of Zagubica a total of 12,5 million dinars in the year 2013.

While according to the Coalition the expert commission on the open competition of Zagubica did assess the submitted projects, it was misled to believe that in the case of "Radio Homolje" there were no legal obstacles for the co-financing of that media content production project.

The Coalition insists on having the Municipality of Zagubica adopt a decision on the allocation of funds that will be fully in accordance with the Law and the Rulebook.

UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Lokal pres  

Belgrade, 9/7/2015 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) hereby informs all interested media that it will organize, in the following couple of months and with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Information, four free two-day workshops on the topic of "The basics of writing project proposals with the aim of co-financing media projects". The workshops will be organized in July, September, October and November in Belgrade, Nis, Kragujevac and Novi Sad. We have planned on having a total of 50 participants in the workshops, which will be run by Jasmina Debeljak, an expert with longstanding experience in working on international and donor projects and education for writing and project management.

The goal of the workshops is to raise the media's capacity for writing projects for the competitions called by the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and local governments for the co-financing of public interest in the field of public information. ANEM recognized the need of not only its members, but also that of other media for developing project proposal writing skills, since the new Law on Public Information and Media foresees project co-financing as the only type of state aid to the media (save for specific exceptions), while providing, along with the Rulebook, for many new rules in that area. By improving these skills, the media have greater chances to gather part of the funds they need to operate through project co-financing and to contribute better to the realization of the public interest in the field of public information. ANEM wants to help them achieve that aim with the aforementioned workshops.

In addition to notices sent by e-mail, information about the workshops will be available on ANEM's website www.anem.org.rs .

Belgrade, 5/6/2015 - The Coalition of journalist and media association consisting of UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Lokal pres have called on the authorities in Kragujevac to conform the competition for the co-financing of media content production projects to the Law on Public Information and Media and the Rulebook on the Co-financing of Projects for the Realization of Public Interest in the Field of Public Information.

The City of Kragujevac called last week a competition restricting the right to participate to media seated on the territory of the City. In spite the warning issued by the Coalition and the initial promise that the competition will be rectified and released on Thursday, the authorities in Kragujevac failed to deliver on their promise.

As the Coalition was told in that City, the Mayor Radomir Nikolic didn't want to rectify the competition although he was informed it was not in conformity with the Law.

The Coalition reminds that the Law and the Rulebook, eligible for participation in the competition are media publishers registered in the Media Register, as well as legal persons and entrepreneurs that have submitted proof that the co-financed media content will be realized through the media, without stating restrictive provisions under which the applicant of the project must be seated on the territory of the local self-government that has called the competition.

The Coalition reminds that it will not take part in procedures that are not conformed to regulations and that it will not propose candidates for commissions in local governments that shun the Law.

The Ccoalition of journalist and media association follows closely the release of public calls in all municipalities and towns and if such a call is not in accordance with the Law and the Rulebook, it informs them and advises as to how to rectify it.

After the monitoring of the implemented public calls, the Coalition will inform the Ministry of Culture and Media about all the observed irregularities. 

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Business Association "Local Press"

Belgrade, 28 May 2015 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)  protests against a series of tendentious texts published in the daily „Informer" about alleged conflict of interest of members of expert selection panels who assessed projects submitted to the competitions of the Ministry of Culture and Information for co-financing in the public information sector. ANEM particularly protests against statements regarding alleged conflict of interest of members of expert selection panels nominated by ANEM.

Although „Informer" writes about a competition for co-financing of projects for production of media content, ANEM points out that the Ministry of Culture and Information issued not one, but eight public competitions and nominated not one, but eight different expert panels. In accordance with the Law on Public Information and Media, the Ministry of Culture and Information nominated the majority of members of the eight panels at the proposal of journalists' and media associations. ANEM participated in comprising proposals for panel members together with the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), Business Association „Local Press" (LP), the Association of Serbian Media (ASMEDI), the Association of Serbian Radio Stations (Radio Advertising Bureau - RAB Serbia) and the Journalists' Association of Vojvodina. 

ANEM has existed for more than two decades - since 1993.  It is registered as a business association and its founders are legal, not natural persons. Veran Matić used to be ANEM president, but he has not discarged any function in the association, nor has he been a member of any body of the association for more than 10 years now, since 2004. Confident about his expertise and impartiality, we nominated him as a member of one of the Ministry's panels - the one where he could not have been in a conflict of interest in any way. ANEM does not have any reason whatsoever to doubt that Veran Matić did his job as a member of the panel conscientiously and impartially. Especially because the decision of the panel, as was the case with other panels, was made unanimouosly.

ANEM has been advocating regulation of budgetary media financing for years. For that reason we supported the commitment of the Media Strategy and the Law on Public Information and Media that the financing be regulated in a unified way, regardless whether funds are allocated from the republic budget, that of the autonomous province or the budgets of local self-governments. We also supported the solution that the funds be allocated in a public procedure, under equal and non-discriminatory conditions, in competitions for projects that ensure fulfillment of public interest established by the law. ANEM also supported the solution of the Law that the projects be assessed by expert selection panels where the majority of panels' members is elected at the proposal of journalists' and media associations. This because the earlier practice of non-transparent and bureaucratic, politically motivated allocation of public funds has been fully compromised and absolutely unsustainable as such.

ANEM membership comprises more than 100 media nowadays, including some of the most reputable TV and radio stations and web portals. We believe in the quality and potential of our members to carry out even more than 14 projects (the number that „Informer" mentions) in the best interest of the media, their newsrooms and the public. That is why ANEM will continue to work with its members, among other means, by providing trainings for project writing so that the potential of the members could be fully realized.

Finally, ANEM reminds the public that the control of expenditures is one of the important elements of the model of budgetary funding of the media. The control is not only institutional, but it also involves the public.  ANEM is the first to insist on this control being performed responsibly and consistently, without difference between the projects of ANEM members and those of any third party.

ANEM President, Milorad Tadić

Belgrade, 26 May 2015 - The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations (ANEM, NUNS, UNS, NDNV, Local Press), together with the media association "AsMedi", jointly stress that their representatives in the selection panels of the competition of the Ministry of Culture and Information for co-financing media content worked completely autonomously and were not exposed to any influences or pressures - either by the Ministry or by those who had nominated them.

Journalists' and media associations delegated their candidates for the panels by a joint agreement, without influence or any interventions by members of authorities.

It was experts with professional reputation who were elected for panel members and they made decisions based on their conscience and knowledge, the quality of project proposals and the alignment thereof with legally defined public interest in the public information sector.

Problems they encountered were primarily in the domain of the quality of project proposals, and there were some procedural omissions, as well, that can be avoided further on.

Project-based co-financing of media content in the public interest, prescribed by the new Law on Public Information and Media, was one of key demands of journalists' and media associations in the reform of media legislation.

It is necessary that the entire process of allocating public funds for co-financing media content be fully transparent, which presupposes control and does not exclude criticism, but it must not be allowed that possible omissions bring the entire process into question.

The model of co-financing public interest in the public information sector by means of independent selection panels is of key importance for the future of media and media professionalism in Serbia.

Debate and critical review of the competition procedures' implementation are always welcome as they are an important link in longstanding efforts of journalists' and media associations towards making the relation of the state and the media as transparent and inclusive as possible. 

In the year 2015, dubbed by the expert public "transitional" or "experimental" for the implementation of media laws, certain problems and omissions were expected in the procedure of competition-based co-financing of media content by means of independent selection panels and in accordance with the public interest as one of the key reform processes.

The goal is that the problems, after the experience of this year, be thoroughly analyzed and removed and that the entire process be submitted to evaluation in order to find solutions (in agreement with the Ministry of Culture and Information) that will advance it.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations:

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Business Association "Local Press"

and the media association "AsMedi"

Belgrade, 25.5.2015. - The coalition of journalists' and media associations, comprised of UNS, NUNS, NDNV, Local Press and ANEM, is concerned by illegal actions during the implementation of the competition for co-financing media content in Sombor, Kladovo and Malo Crniće. The Coalition requests the reaction of the Ministry of Culture and Information

In Sombor, the selection panel was established illegally. In lieu of representatives nominated by journalists' and media associations, the majority of members are „media experts" unknown to the expert public. They awarded the funds to a company from Apatin the bank account of which has been blocked more than 11 months; the headquarters of the company is on the territory of the City of Sombor, which is contrary to the rules that the very city prescribed. The Apatin-based company „Unija plus" is owned by Ilija Bursać from Apatin who belongs to the same political party as the mayor of Sombor. The coalition of journalists' and media associations points out that the City of Sombor violated the Law also by stating as one of the criteria that a participant in the competition must have headquarters in the territory of Sombor; the coalition stresses that the City of Sombor has been warned of this, but it nevertheless awarded the funds to a media outlet from another municipality.

Decision of the Municipal Council in Malo Crnice annuled the competition in which the selection panel had already awarded funds based on received project proposals. In its official explanation to the competition participants, the Municipal Council stated „insufficient funds" as a reason, while the reason stated in statements to the media was that „it is not in public interest of the citizens of the Malo Crnice Municipality". The coalition of journalists' and media associations notes that only selection panels, and not the municipal authorities, are authorized by Law to assess which projects meet citizens' public interest.

In Kladovo, due to a mistake of the selection panel, funds were awarded to an intermediary with the aim to trick the competition. The project of the Agency East Media is, in fact, the project of the Public Enterprise „ŠRIF" from Bor. It is clear from the documentation that technical and human resources of this public enterprise are being engaged. The coalition of journalists' and media associations notes that it is legally forbidden that media funded from public income, which is the case with the PE „ŠRIF" from Bor, participate in any way in the public competitions for co-financing media content.

The coalition of journalists' and media associations closely monitors the process of co-financing media content and requests from the Ministry of Culture and Information to react to all cases of the violation of the Law. The Coalition will comprise all identified irregularities in a document at the end of 2015, which document will be submitted to all relevant domestic and international institutions that deal with the fight against corruption and freedom of expression.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Business Association "Local Press"

Belgrade, 9.4.2015 - The Coalition of Journalists' and Media Associations (UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Local Press) publicly protests the decision of the Nova Varoš municipality president to unilateraly change the proposal of the panel that assessed the projects in the public information sector within the public competition issued by this local self-government.

The three-member panel (two members are experienced journalists nominated by the Coalition of Journalists' and Media Associations and the third was nominated by the local self-government administration) assessed the projects and proposed amounts for co-financing them. However, the president of the Nova Varoš municipality, Dimitrije Paunović, significantly changed the panel's proposals. Paunović changed the amounts while failing to provide an acceptable explanation for this, due to which we consider his decision unjustifiable and arbitrary.

While the panel explained each proposed amount for co-financing of approved projects by providing an assessment of project goals regarding informing of the local public, the municipality president is of opinion that "not all the proposals are realistic" and he changed them by significantly reducing the proposed amounts for some projects, while considerably increasing the amounts for other ones. He thus reduced the panel's proposals for two media projects from 250.000 and 150.000 dinars to 50.000 dinars!!! In the explanation of the reduction of the support for the projects of the two media (based outside the municipality territory) the president cited "previous experience". At the same time, he increased the amount for a project of a media outlet (also based outside of Nova Varoš) because he had "established good cooperation..." with it.

The Coalition reminds that the Law on Public Information and Media precisely defines that the assessment of the media projects in a competition is done by an expert panel comprised of independent media experts appointed by the decision of the manager of the authority that published the call for project proposals. According to the Rulebook on Co-financing Projects to Realise Public Interest in the Public Information Sector, the decision on the allocation of funds (with an explanation) is issued by the manager of the authority that published the call "based on the panel's proposal". The Rulebook also defines the right of the manager of the authority to request in writing from the panel to correct irregularities or mistakes within a certain deadline if the manager shall notice that the panel issued a proposal contrary to the Law, the Rulebook or the public competition, or that the proposal contains other obvious mistake.

The president of the Nova Varoš municipality interpreted this provision by allowing himself, without consulting panel members, to reconsider how "realistic" the panel's proposals are and change them of his own will. This rendered the public competition and the independence of the expert panel meaningless, while the decision on co-financing public interest was brought back to the personal power of an individual.

The Coalition of Journalists' and Media Associations expects the Ministry of Culture and Information to issue a public statement regarding this case considering that monitoring the implementation of the Law on Public Information and Media is within its competence.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Business Association "Local Press"

Belgrade, 9.4.2015 - The Coalition of Journalists' and Media Associations (UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Local Press) will not nominate members to the panels for the assessment of projects related to the production of media content in municipalities and cities whose public calls are not in accordance with the Law on Public Information and Media and the Rulebook on Co-financing Projects to Realise Public Interest in the Public Information Sector.

The Coalition of Journalists' and Media Associations has been monitoring the issuing of public calls in all the municipalities and cities, and it has been informing them in the cases when a call is not in accordance with the Law and the Rulebook, along with providing guidance for correcting the call.

Notwithstanding the information provided by the Coalition pointing to irregularities in the calls for projects proposals issued by the municipalities Doljevac, Aleksandrovac, Bujanovac and Krupanj, these municipalities have not aligned their calls with the Law and the Rulebook.

The Coalition will not participate in procedures that are not in accordance with the regulation and will thus not nominate candidates for selection panels in the afore mentioned municipalities.  

After the monitoring of the implemented public calls, the Coalition of Journalists' and Media Associations will inform the Ministry of Culture and Information about all detected irregularities.

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Business Association "Local Press"

Belgrade, March 27 2015 - The Coalition of journalists' and media associations (UNS, NUNS, NDNV, ANEM and Local Press) calls on local self-governments to pay attention and verify who proposes the candidates for panels for the assessment of projects in the public interest prior to the selection of members.

The Coalition of journalists' and media associations warns that in some municipalities and cities members of the selection panels are nominated at the proposal of associations that do not have the right to propose candidates, such as the Vojvodina Association of Electronic Media (AEMV).

As the Coalition of journalists' and media associations learned, this association submitted proposals for candidates for the panels to a number of local self-governments that issued the competitions for co-financing projects in the public information sector.

The AEMV's letter, referring to the Law on Public Information and Media, requests that the municipalities and cities nominate two candidates out of ten on their list. 

The Coalition of journalists' and media associations established that under the unique identification number of AEMV a company is registered in the database of the Serbian Business Registers Agency. According to the Law on Public Information and Media, a company does not have the right to nominate panel members.

The Coalition of journalists' and media associations underscores that such manipulation by an association unknown to the expert community is illegal.

The Coalition of journalists' and media associations informed the Ministry of Culture and Information about this case and called on the Ministry to take measures and consider legal responsibility for this attempt to abuse the law.

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Business Association "Local Press"

Belgrade, 24 March 2015 - The Coalition of journalists' and media associations (Journalists' Association of Serbia - UNS, Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia - NUNS, Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina - NDNV, Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and Business Association "Local Press") is of the opinion that the decision of the National Council of Albanians to establish a RTV station that will broadcast program in the Albanian language, although based on law, is in fact in contradiction with the substance of media reforms in Serbia that are based on the principle of the state withdrawal from media ownership.

The Coalition warns that the legal solutions for information of national minorities in Serbia have remained incomplete and they practically strengthen the position of national councils in the sector of information in minority languages, although the experience so far indicates that the majority of media founded by the national councils operate under overt political influence.

There is a great danger that the model implemented by the Albanian National Council be used in other national communities, and that it finally leads to the monopoly of national councils in the information of national minorities, thus preventing pluralism of media content, information and opinions.

Media laws defined a dual system of information in Serbia - one is in the majority language, based on the intention to lessen the influence of the state and state institutions on the media sphere, and the other - in minority languages - which favors the state, embodied in national minority councils, and allows for establishing (new) media and their instrumentalization.

The Coalition assumes that the legislator, in cooperation with some minority parties, wished to protect information of national minorities from the media market. However, it missed the opportunity to define the responsibility of national councils in the information sphere and the mechanisms for the protection of editorial autonomy of the media founded by the councils.

We remind that during political harmonization of the Law on Public Information and Media those parts of the draft law that had existed in some versions of the draft and that guaranteed the autonomy of the editorial policy of national councils' media were removed. According to the requests of journalists' associations, these media should have functioned as minority public service media of sorts, with all the procedures that, at least formally, protect the editorial policy, with the obligation to inform citizens in a truthful, timely, complete, unbiased and professional manner, without serving the interest of individual political parties and religious communities or any other particular political, economic, religious or similar viewpoint or interest. 

Although the law prescribes that the media founded by national councils may not participate in the competitions for co-financing of media content in accordance with the public interest that the state issues at all levels, the opinion of the Coalition is that it is not a sufficient guarantee for the survival and development of other minority media considering that they will be faced with unfair competition in the system of media founded by national councils, on the one hand, and the majority media, on the other.  

It is exceptionally important that financing of media founded by national councils be fully transparent, and it is necessary to demonopolize the influence of national councils on the decisions of independent panels for co-financing public interest in the sector of information in the languages of national minorities.

The laws stopped short of advancing the development of multilingual media and interculturality in the information sphere. This can result in additional ghettoization of the media scene in minority languages, but also of the national communities' members, as evident in the decision of the National Council of Albanians.

The Coalition of journalists' and media associations calls on the authorities and other decision makers to understand that it is important to recognize not only a great media-related importance, but also a great social importance of multilingual media and interculturality of media content.

We are of the opinion that the adoption of the new Law on National Councils of National Minorities is an opportunity to correct the failures of media laws, i.e. to define the responsibility of national councils for the information in the languages of national minorities, both regarding the mechanisms for realizing the autonomy of editorial policy of the media they are the founders of, according to the principle of public service media, and regarding the obligation of national minority councils to take care of the content in minority languages, including in the media they are not the founders of. Namely, there is a danger that national councils "let go" of those media and media content that are not under their control.

Belgrade - Novi Sad - Kragujevac, 24 March 2015

Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

Business Association "Local Press"

Some local self-governments, instead of fulfilling their obligation of „taking care of public information at the local level", are reducing the funds for public information and are keeping their positions in the media sphere by means of non-transparent advertising and public procurement that is not envisaged as a means of funding media content by the Law on Public Information and Media.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations warns that indirect inflow of money to „suitable" media remains a great gray zone that can bring under question mark the fulfillment of the goals of the Media Strategy, and thus the very media reform as well.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations stresses that, if the state continues to tolerate procurement of information services from the media without sanctions for violating legal obligation of allocating funds for project-based financing, it becomes obvious that all levels of authorities may freely reallocate funds for project-based financing to other purposes (public advertising and reporting on the work of their bodies - PR). In theory, this „budgetary acrobatics" may reduce the funds intended for public interest to zero or close to zero.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations thus requests from responsible state authorities to initiate as soon as possible the procedure for amending the Law on Public Procurement and accompanying regulation, and to discontinue the process of public procurement pertaining to media services, in order to cease with the practice of abusing the institute of public procurement.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations calls on the full implementation of the Law on Public Information and Media in order to respect the substance of the Law.

Public information (and public advertising) is not a typical service that can be in the same rank with the procurement of office material. It presupposes public interest, fulfillment of media freedoms and the freedom of expression.

Project-based co-financing of programme content for the fulfillment of public interest in the public information sector and clear, non-discriminatory and transparent procedure are the only warranty that the government will not use the allocated funding to control the media and pump in public funds into „suitable" media.

Belgrade, 12.3.2015 - The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations, comprised of ANEM, Local Press, UNS, NUNS and NDNV, requests from the authorities in the City of Pozarevac to reconsider their decision to call the public procurement procedure for acquring „services in the domain of public relations" and, respecting the substance of the Law on Public Information and Media, to discontinue the public procurement procedure and call the competition for co-financing projects that fulfil public interest in the public information sector.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations warns that the City of Pozarevac called the procedure for public procurement of „services in the domain of public relations" which should acquire the „service" of reporting from all public gatherings, manifestations and events of interest to the City, as well as the „service" of broadcasting the sessions of the City Parliament.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations stresses that the budget of the City of Pozarevac foresees funds for „information" in the total amount of 13,2 million dinars. The „information" pertains to reporting on the work of the Parliament (8,6 million), the mayor and Municipal Council (4,5 million) and the functioning of local communities (100.000 dinars). At the same time, there is no mention in the budget of the project-based co-financing in the manner envisaged by media laws. This means that the only „information" to be financed by Pozarevac tax payers is the information on the work of city bodies.

The Coalition of Media and Journalists' Associations underscores that Pozarevac is an example of the widespread practice that has been creating obedient media for years, reducing them to silent observers of political processes and blunting their edge due to the consideration towards the „ordering party".

ANEM, Local Press, UNS, NUNS and NDNV

Belgrade, March 9, 2015 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) expresses its full solidarity with Brankica Stankovic and the journalist of the investigative program "Insider", as well as with one of its members, TV B92, in relation to the attacks they are facing, which have led to the postponement of the broadcasting of the program "Reporter". ANEM is calling on the state authorities to ensure the security of the above mentioned journalists and to provide for conditions where the media will not have to delay their broadcasts.

TV B92 has announced that it has decided, in agreement with the Editor of "Insider" Brankica Stankovic, to postpone indefinitely the program "Reporter" produced by the team of "Insider". The statement of TV B92 says that the decision was guided by security concerns and the desire to protect the journalists of "Insider".

We remind that the first episode of the series "Reporter" was aired on March 2, on the topic of the embezzlement of the largest Serbian football clubs. The organizations concerned - Red Star and Partizan - reacted by issuing press releases prior to the broadcast of "Reporter", accusing the journalists of causing damage to the state and society as a whole. The management of the said clubs ridiculed, through their friendly media, the decision of the government to put Brankica Stankovic under police protection, while a journalist of "Reporter" was prevented from making an interview with the Manager of the Red Star football club by the fans of the team, with which the said manager had just had a friendly chat. Appalled by the reaction of the state to the lies in the campaign waged against her, Brankica Stankovic requested the security to be revoked, at her personal responsibility.

ANEM wants to stress that, in a country where we haven't been able to identify the murderers of journalists Dada Vujasinovic and Milan Pantic and we are still waiting for the trial for the assassination of Slavko Curuvija, the state should to take very seriously every attack and threat journalists in general are exposed to. The government should invest additional efforts and its authority to ensure the protection of journalists and freedom of expression. Such obligation of the authorities in Serbia is at the same time their debt not only to journalists, but towards the citizens, whose constitutional right is to be informed about matters of public interest, by media that will be free of fear.

ANEM President, Milorad Tadic

Belgrade, 5.3.2015 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) strongly protests against the continued campaign led against journalists of the ANEM member TV B92 and especially the team of the TV's investigative programs "Insider" and "Reporter".

TV B92 aired on 2nd March 2015 the first program of the series "Reporter", prepared and edited by journalists of the awarded program "Insider". The program dealt with the business of the largest Serbian football clubs. "Crvena zvezda" and "Partizan" reacted with press releases even prior to the airing of the program, accusing the journalists of inflicting damage to the state and the society on the whole with such programs. What ensued were the attacks of the football clubs' management through media close to them, requests for the termination of the police security of the "Insider" editor Brankica Stanković, and finally physically preventing a journalist of "Reporter" (by disabling her microphone) to attempt to get a statement from the director of the Football Club "Crvena zvezda" Zvezdan Terzić. 

ANEM is questioning the real intentions of the leaders and management of the clubs, who call in their press releases on the football fans to "publicly say what they think on... the TV B92's attempt to ruin the club". At the same time, they call in question the fact that journalist Brankica Stanković is protected by the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia. Brankica Stanković was put under police protection almost six years ago, not of her own will, but by the decision of a responsible state body, during airing of the series "Insider - (In)Efficiency of the State", which dealt with criminal acts of certain leaders of the football fans' groups, because of the threats she had received from this milieu. Bearing all this in mind, what the leaders and the management of the clubs are doing cannot be understood otherwise but as a ruthless and open call to lynch.

ANEM also points to the fact that by passing judgments on TV programs before they are aired, by drawing a parallel between reporting on abuses in football clubs and the attacks on the state, by obstructing the work of journalists in collecting information and by calls to lynch an atmosphere is created where the reporting on a topic of undisputable public interest in Serbia is practically banned.

ANEM expresses its full solidarity with the colleagues who are under attack and calls on the responsible authorities in Serbia to ensure full implementation of media freedoms and the freedom of expression in Serbia, and to prevent stifling of the media debate on issues of public interest in a manner unsuitable for a democratic society - by threats addressed at journalists and pressures against them.

ANEM President, Milorad Tadić