16. 03. 2013

FUSS ABOUT MEDIA ASSISTANCE

Kraljevo, March 16, 2013 (Politika) - How much the local media in Kraljevo would get from the budget was the issue that has troubled the local journalists the most.

Representatives of local television stations, much like online and print issues of newspapers, were greatly dissatisfied with the discussion, reception, and even the service at the recent meeting with the Mayor of Kraljevo Dragan Jovanovic from SNS.

Jovanovic told journalists and media in Kraljevo that the city "simply had no money to allocate", which caused a real havoc, complaints, open letters, lobbying with coalition partners and mutual accusations.

The real reason for causing commotion at the meeting was the absence of criteria and long practice of allocating funds mostly according to arbitrariness and sole decision of the Mayor and the City Council to give money to the media that "deserved" it the most, namely their obedience and support to the current government.

However, Jovanovic told Politika that there would be changes to budgetary assistance to local media from now on.

"First, open competitions will be called for the right to live coverage of the city assembly sessions, as three television stations are paid 150 thousand dinars per session. Then the criteria will be set for public calls for applications of projects of local media in the field of politics, social affairs, economy, culture, sports etc. The decision which media will be assisted and with what funds will be brought by a commission composed of representatives of the government, councilors, journalists, public figures. What is the most important is the transparency and the publicity of the entire process, much like it is stipulated in the draft of the new law on information", Jovanovic concluded.