05. 09. 2012

WITH STRATEGY TO BETTER MEDIA IN SERBIA

Belgrade, September 5, 2012 (EurActiv) - In the beginning of September 2012, the media in Serbia are still in hard position in all domains - financial, due to a difficult economic situation and unsolved problems from the past, as well as problems in free work and pressures.

The state has not yet withdrawn from media and millions of Euros are regularly poured into state-owned media and media in favor of the government each year, at the expense of other participants in the media market, but primarily at the expense of the quality of information. Litigations of journalists and high charges for libel and dishonoring are imposing self-censorship and drain the media out. Non-transparent ownership is also another cause of problems. Although these issues are not so easy to solve, media experts and associations warn that they have been "pushed under the rug" for years, as neither government was not ready enough to face them. The Media Strategy, adopted in September 2011, after long and enduring discussions and participation of media associations and international organizations, should, despite numerous objections and remarks, enable moving forward from the status quo. Still, the Serbian media are looking at maybe one positive fact that the issue of freedom of media will be one of the key criteria set by the EU for Serbia, as well as other candidate countries and potential candidates aspiring to a membership in the EU.