30. 08. 2005

OPEN SESSION ONLY FOR THE GOVERNMENT’S CAMERAS

BELGRADE, August 30, 2005 (B92) - In yesterday's news on our television at 19:15 we have published the information that the formal session of the Serbian Parliament has been closed for the media. Head of the Serbian Government's Department for Media Relations, Srdjan Djuric, has called us live just before the end of the news programme, saying that this was not true. He said that it was impossible to let all media crews into a session hall due to a lack of available space: “All journalists who reported on this event, and all of them came by bus together with government ministers – they all came by bus – were informed that Serbian Government's cameras will record the whole session because it was impossible to put more than 20 cameras and more than 20 reporters into the hall. It was a small room and there was only enough space for the ministers. After the session all reporters were offered unedited material to be broadcast in their reports on the session”, said Srdjan Djuric. RTV B92's position is unchanged and we still support our journalist Petar Gajic who claims that no one from the Serbian Government's Department for Media Relations have mentioned that the session will be recorded and the video material available, although Gajic has talked to Department's staff members on several occasions. B92's crew used its own transportation and was forced to walk several kilometers because the police did not allow its car to continue. TV B92 has been accredited in a timely manner for yesterday's event.