25. 08. 2011

Proposal of the Media Strategy not acceptable

Belgrade, August 25, 2011. (Danas) - The text of the Proposal of the Media Strategy prepared by the Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society that is now "a secret" is not acceptable for journalists' associations.

The first version of the Strategy was prepared by the working group made of representatives of journalists' associations. After the public discussion on this document, the Ministry of Culture prepared a new text that will be before the Government by September 15^th.

The president of NUNS Vukasin Obradovis says that "this text is completely unacceptable for NUNS because it is not based on the principles that were the basis of the Draft Media Strategy prepared by the working group composed of the experts delegated by the Ministry, the media coalition and the Association of media". As he said, since the Proposal has been declared secret for unknown reasons, we could not talk about concrete solutions"

Obradovic adds that the Minister Predrag Markovic asked the Prime Minister to form a Commission that would provide suggestions on the final text of the Proposal but it turned out the Prime Minister formed the working group that is working on the final text of the Draft instead.

- Now it is unclear if this body is a commission or a working group. Also there is a question of competency: Does this working group provide only suggestions, as the Minister claims, or it is working on a new text of the Draft. These questions have not been solved at the first meeting of the working group - says Obradovic.

According to him, at the next meeting of the working group on Monday, their representative will present joint stands of media associations on the Proposal of the Media Strategy.

The President of UNS Ljiljana Smajlovic says that the Proposal of the Ministry of Culture is the proposal to keep the status quo.