18. 06. 2014

Ensure transparency of media funding sources

"The budget funding for the media needs to be made public in keeping with the nature of the area but, having in mind the role which the media have in the society, transparency of other funding sources needs to be ensured too," Nenadic told Tanjug.

Nenadic recalled that the draft law on ownership transparency for the media dating from 2008 had a provision according to which the data on media funding needs to be public for sum exceeding 30 percent of media revenues.

"I believe that this would be an adequate provision nowadays as well, with the aim of providing viewers and readers with an insight into potential influences on the editorial policy instead of banning the media from realising revenues in that way," Nenadic said.

Nenadic said that in case the draft law is adopted in that form, the problem of non-transparency of media funding will not be resolved completely although a major step forward would be made.

The provisions the lack of which is causing particular problems cover the transparency of all data on government assistance and funding by the authorities, Nenadic said and added that the possibility for exerting influence on the media through one or several connected private financiers or companies needs to be resolved as well.

He said that Transparency Serbia has proposed that these norms should be included in the law and the national strategy for countering corruption, and recalled that the norms are not included in the final text of the strategic anti-corruption document.