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Arhiva priopćenjaUkupno: 2347 IMPORTANT EMPLOYMENT OF CODE BELGRADE, March 22, 2006 (B92) - Chief editors of most of Belgrade media agree that the draft of the unified Code of Ethics for Serbian journalists is acceptable and essential. At the presentation of the Code at the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro it was noted that this document, prepared by the working group of the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists (NUNS) and Association of Serbian Journalists (UNS), should be signed by all editorial offices, but it still remained to be solved how the relations with owners would be regulated. Representatives of both associations and editors stressed the importance of the joint work on the Code and mechanisms for its implementation and agreed that Media Council should be formed to regulate the media that are ready to respect ethical principles of the profession. The media failing to comply with the Code would be obliged to make public the statement of the Media Council, while those doing it frequently would end up losing the credibility and influence on the media market. PINK M SUSPENDED? PODGORICA, March 22, 2006 (B92) - The Association of the Independent Electronic Media of Montenegro (UNEM) asked from the Broadcasting Agency Council to revoke temporary license to television station Pink M. UNEM claimed it had acquired the statement of TV Pink M saying they did not fulfill the requirements envisaged by the Broadcast Act. However, the TV Pink M management said the demand to revoke the license was "absurd". The decision on the future work of this TV station will be brought at the public session of the Broadcast Agency Council in the following days. JOURNALISTS TO PARTICIPATE IN PRIVATISATION BELGRADE, March 24, 2006 (Danas) - Chairman of the Association of Independent Local Media Local Press Managing Board Vukasin Obradovic said that this association would do everything to help journalists to participate in the process of privatization of local media in which they had been working for years. Speaking at the celebration of the tenth anniversary of this association, Obradovic warned of the risk of the privatization - closure of certain media, drastic changes in editorial policy and tabloidization. Obradovic said that the political pressure on media was more subtle than before October 5, 2000 and added that so far there were 40 criminal procedures against members of this association, mainly due to their different perception of reality during Milosevic's tyranny. He also noted that even after October 5, 2000, journalists had been pressured to "serve certain political causes". The Association currently gathers 28 media houses, that is, 27 media from Serbia and one from Montenegro. The ownership structure holds 14 private print media, 12 public companies and 2 state companies. The association "Local Press" has, for the first time, awarded journalist Zoran Misic with the "Pavle Cirovic" journalists' award for the article "Sumadija threatened with eco-bomb", published in the Kragujevac-based weekly "Svetlost". The award carries the name of the first chairman of the Association and director of "Svetlost", Pavle Cirovic, who, according to writer Saban Sarenkapic, was "punished and among the punished ones" for his profession and search for the truth so many times. B92 SUBMITTED APPLICATION FOR TENDER BELGRADE, March 27, 2006 (B92) - B92 has submitted its application for radio and TV frequency competition to the Broadcast Agency. The closing date for submitting application expires on Monday. The Broadcast Agency will announce the list of candidates by April. The competition envisage five national TV and radio frequencies, 40 regional television stations, 50 regional radio stations and around 500 local broadcasters. To be eligible to apply, the stations needed to provide required documentation in four copies. "I suppose there is enough space for filing the entire tender documentation, which will be examined by the members of the Broadcast Agency Council and experts from the Agency. I hope they will honestly do their job and respect the diversity of requirements and contribution to program quality. The deadlines are envisaged by the Act, and I do not doubt for a second that all members of the Council will read the whole documentation", said Slobodan Kremenjak, B92 legal representative. **The information contained in this autolist item is the sole responsibility of ANEM** ...
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OSIJEK - Sudac osjeèkog Opæinskog suda Krunoslav Baran donio je presudu prema kojoj nakladnik Jutarnjeg lista Europapress holding mora isplatiti Branimiru Glavašu 150.000 kuna zbog pretrpljenih duševnih boli tekstom "Glavaš veæ pet godina ne plaæa alimentaciju", objavljenim 13. svibnja prošle godine. Tvrdnje iznesene u èlanku da Glavaš izbjegava plaæanje alimentacije koristeæi pritom svoj politièki položaj i moæ, te da je stoga Udruga samohranih roditelja "Nada" angažirala detektivsku agenciju Shark iz Zagreba radi prikupljanja podataka o njegovim pokretninama i nekretninama sud nije mogao utvrditi kao toène. - Upravo obrnuto, tužitelj je dokazao da roditeljske dužnosti ispunjava na zavidnoj razini - piše u obrazloženju presude. Glavaš je bio zatražio odštetu od 300.000 kuna. ...
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Media Release IFJ Fears for Fate of Belarus Journalists as Four More Arrested During Minsk Election Protests The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined protests by its affiliate, the Belarus Association of Journalists, condemning the systematic arrest and intimidation of journalists in Belarus. Four more journalists were arrested overnight as the police rounded up demonstrators in Kastrychnitskaya Square protesting against the election, bringing the number of journalists arrested in the past two weeks to 23. “Journalists are being systematically targeted by a government determined to suppress all independent reporting of the elections and the current protests”, said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “These are the acts of an intolerant authoritarian government which pleads innocent of election fraud while simultaneously arresting anyone attempting to investigate that fraud.” Since 14 March, 20 Belarus journalists have been arrested and 16 remain in prison; the arrests of two foreign journalists have been confirmed and it is believed that a freelance Canadian journalist was arrested last night in Kastrychnitskaya Square. A full list of detained journalists provided by the Belarus Association of Journalists is attached. Meanwhile, the IFJ fears the situation could escalate as further demonstrations are planned in Minsk on Saturday 25 March. “It is essential that the authorities act with calm and restraint and allow journalists to perform their duties and report on important events in their country,” said Arne Konig, Chair of the European Federation of Journalists. “We also call on the president to fully investigate all killings and violence against journalists in Belarus in recent years and to establish normal working conditions for our colleagues.” For further information contact the IFJ: +32 2 235 2204 ...
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Premijer Sanader rekao je da Vlada nema ništa s napadima na predsjednika Mesiæa te da ima samo jedan interes - punu stabilnost institucije predsjednika državeZAGREB - Vlada æe uskoro predstaviti strategiju razvitka Hrvatske, najavio je premijer Ivo Sanader novinarima nakon redovitog sastanka s predsjednikom Stjepanom Mesiæem i predsjednikom Sabora Vladimirom Šeksom u ponedjeljak u Banskim dvorima.
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Termin koji ste odredili za serijal Sanitet u Domovinskom ratu (petak, 16 sati) predstavlja sramotu za sve sudionike hrvatskog ratnog saniteta, ali i za njihovih 30.520 ranjenika koje su zbrinuli u ratnim stacionarima i 15.000 zbrinutih ambulantno. Izborom termina izražavate i svoj stav o braniteljima i žrtvama bez kojih ne bi bilo naše države, napisao je zastupnik HDZ-a Andrija Hebrang ravnatelju HRT-a Mirku Galiæu.
Sramotna satnica Vodstvo HTV-a ponovno optužuje da je nakon što je ipak pristalo emitirati to djelo serijalu namjerno izabralo takav termin kako bi imao manju gledanost, jer su ljudi u to vrijeme još na poslu. Ocjenujuæi potez HTV-a kao uvredu za sudionike Domovinskog rata i saniteta, Hebrang dodaje i kako je bolje da se od emitiranja serije u tom terminu - odustane. Iako nije vidio i proèitao Hebrangovo pismo, Mirko Galiæ uzvratio je: - Politièar si opet daje pravo koje ja sam sebi ne dajem. Nitko izvan kuæe, a ni ja koji sam njen ravnatelj, ne može odreðivati raspored programa. Takve namjere nikad neæu prihvatiti. Na HTV-u ne postoje “sramotni termini emitiranja”, niti æu ikada pristati da netko bilo koji termin proglasi uvredljivim ili kažnjenièkim. Ja sam se samo zauzeo da se taj serijal završi i od programskog sam vodstva tražio da mu se dodijeli dobar termin. Zbog Hebrangova pisma serijal se neæe povuæi iz emitiranja - kazao je Galiæ, dodavši kao nema ništa protiv da se o svemu izjasni i Vijeæe HRT-a koje zasjeda danas. Proturjeèni Galiæ |
17 March 2006
IFJ Concern for Safety of Journalists As Fears of Violence Grow in Belarus Election Campaign
The International Federation of Journalists is deeply concerned about the mounting attacks on press freedom and threats to the physical safety of journalists in the final days before the presidential elections in Belarus on Sunday, 19 March.
The security services in Minsk issued a warning yesterday that they would be unable to guarantee the safety of journalists covering opposition demonstrations. This announcement came following weeks of arrests, newspaper closures and physical intimidation.
“Belarus journalists will be putting their lives on the line this weekend as they attempt to report the Presidential election process and political demonstrations,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “It is intolerable for the authorities to abandon their duty to protect citizens carrying out lawful activities. They must guarantee the safety of journalists and to end all attacks on press freedom immediately.”
The IFJ’s concerns arise after a series of recent incidents including:
· This morning, the latest edition of Tovarisch, an independent newspaper published in Moscow and freely delivered to Belarus, was confiscated by the authorities.
· Yesterday, the Belarussian state security committee announced that participants in a demonstration in support of opposition candidates planned for Sunday could face terrorism charges, and punishments of between 8 years in jail or execution. The interior minister said journalists covering the event would be kept in an area determined by the security services – if they left that area their safety would not be guaranteed.
· The print run of two issues of the independent weekly newspaper Narodnaya Volya (The People’s Will) were seized by police on Wednesday as they were being transported into Belarus from Russia.
· Another independent newspaper, Belarusskaya Delovaya Gazeta (Belarussian Business Newspaper), failed to appear after its Russian printers declined -- its editor claims after Russian political pressure -- to print the pre-election edition.
· Two editors of the independent Polish-language newspaper Glos znad Nemna (Voice Over the Nemen River), with considerable readership in Western Belarus, were arrested in Grodno this week for “using foul language” and sentenced to 5 and 10 days in jail. The arrests follow a concerted campaign by local authorities against independent newspapers.
· The independent newspaper Zgoda (Unity) was closed by a court in Minsk after the Ministry of Information accused the paper of inciting religious hatred. The paper’s editor had intended to publish the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, but had been instructed by his publisher not to do so.
· A correspondent of the Belarussian edition of the Russian mass-circulation tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda (Komsomol Truth) was assaulted by plain-clothes police while trying to cover the arrest of an opposition candidate on 2 March.
“This is about scaring journalists and spreading fear in society,” said Zhanna Litvina, head of the Belarussian Association of Journalists. “Journalists have professional duties and are obliged to report events, but now we are being obstructed”.
The attacks are a continuation of a concerted campaign by the authorities over the last eight years against independent newspapers and broadcast media, during which increasingly restricted access to printing and distribution facilities and advertising has been combined with egregious libel suits and arbitrary and bloated fines from an array of state bodies.
For further information contact the IFJ: +32 473 97 38 37 Or +32 2 235 2204
The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries
ZAGREB - Nakon što je èetiri godine simultano za gluhonijeme osobe prevodila prijenose svete mise na HTV-u, Dubravki Naumovski je otkazana suradnja iz gotovo nevjerojatnog razloga - jer se razvodi od supruga!?
Ideju da se Dubravki Naumovski otkaže suradnja ‘potpisao’ je urednik religijskog programa HTV-a, pater Tonèi Trstenjak, a obrazložio ju je èinjenicom da je gospoða Naumovski javna osoba te da ‘nije prikladno’ da osoba koja se razvodi bude u prijenosima religijskog programa.
- Pater Trstenjak mi je kazao da su ga ljudi zvali i da su mu rekli da je neprikladno da se ja ‘u svom statusu’ pojavljujem na HTV-u. Kazao je i da je on zadovoljan mojim radom i našom suradnjom, da njega osobno ne zanima moj privatni život, ali da iza realizacije religijskog programa stoji biskupska stolica i da on mora tako postupiti, preprièala je nevjerojatnu epizodu s Prisavlja Dubravka Naumovski.
Nadalje, pater Trstenjak joj je kazao da je u cijelom sluèaju osobito problematièno što se ona pojavljuje na ekranu i što se za razvod - saznalo!
Prerezan gordijski èvor
- Znate, da se vi ne pojavljujete na ekranu, da vas se ne vidi, da vam se samo èuje glas, onda ne bi bilo problema, preprièava Naumovski Trstenjakovo obrazlaganje otkazivanja suradnje koji joj je kazao i da ne bi bilo problema da se radi o zabavnom programu, ali da je, eto, ona u religijskom programu gdje, kako izgleda, razvedene osobe nisu poželjne.
Možda najfascinantniji dio Trstenjakova objašnjenja otkazivanja suradnje je pozivanje na pozive osoba koje misu prate putem znakova simultane prevoditeljice koje su se tobože žalile da ne mogu pratiti prijenos dok im ga prenosi žena koja se razvodi! Zato je pater Trstenjak odluèio prerezati taj gordijski èvor. I to tako da juèer gluhe osobe nisu nikako mogle pratiti prijenos mise jer simultanog prevoðenja nije ni bilo!
Nevjericu informacijom da je Dubravki Naumovski otkazana suradnja jer se razvodi izrazili su glavni ravnatelj HRT-a Mirko Galiæ i predsjednik Programskog vijeæa HRT-a Zdenko Ljevak.
- Ovo mi je prva vijest o tome, ali je èinjenica da HRT obvezuju Zakon o HRT-u i zakoni Republike Hrvatske koja je laièka država. Pa ne možemo se mi na javnoj televiziji ravnati po crkvenim zakonima. Naš religijski program ima svoje specifiènosti, ali otkazivanje suradnje nekomu jer se razvodi nipošto ne spada u te specifiènosti, kazao je Galiæ, dok je Ljevak najavio da æe to pitanje postaviti na današnjoj sjednici Programskog vijeæa HRT-a.
Šuljiæ bez komentara
- Ne ulazim sada u razloge otkaza, ali želim èuti odgovor na pitanje zašto je dijelu naših hendikepiranih gledatelja uskraæena moguænost koju su inaèe imali da prate prijenos svete mise, kazao je Ljevak.
Èinjenicom da se Trstenjak u svojoj odluci pozivao i na Kaptol, nije bio najsretniji niti predstojnik tiskovnog ureda HBK-a Anton Šuljiæ.
- Ne bih komentirao odluke patera Trstenjaka - on je urednik i on snosi odgovornost za svoje odluke, kazao je Šuljiæ, da bi naposljetku zakljuèio da cijela situacija ‘u odnosu prema gospoði baš i nije fer’.
Rasprave o HRT-u u Saboru, u javnosti ili na ulici èesto nalikuju na pravi verbalni rat. Izvlaèe se svi moguæi argumenti u traženju odgovora na pitanje u èijim je rukama HRT. Bit svih polemika hadezeovaca svodi se na to da SDP-ovi urednici i novinari drmaju Prisavljem. Nedavna peticija 50-ak urednika i novinara HRT-a koji se drže desnim došla je kao ulje na veæ rasplamsalu vatru polemika koje su se danima vodile u Saboru nakon Latinice o Franji Tuðmanu.
Svemu tome prethodila je emisija Tihomira Ladišiæa "Otvoreno" u kojoj su Hrvati optuživani za granatiranje Sarajeva. To je podignulo temperaturu meðu politièarima i u javnosti gotovo do usijanja. Nedavne izjave Tomislava Marèinka, kako na HRT-u još uvijek radi znatan broj suradnika Udbe, dodatno su zaoštrile suprotstavljene strane na HRT-u. HRT i njegov program omiljena su tema kritike i bivšeg ministra zdravstva i zastupnika HDZ-a Andrije Hebranga.
On svakoj takvoj raspravi pristupa ozbiljno naoružan pritom brojevima i pokazateljima te stalnim tvrdnjama da SDP upravlja javnom televizijom. Najdalje je otišao u kritici kada je predložio da se HRT podijeli na lijevi i desni i da se tako zadovolje nepomirljive strane.
Uravnotežene emisije
Prema mišljenju mr. sc. Bože Skoka, asistenta na Fakultetu politièkih znanosti u Zagrebu i bivšeg urednika i novinara na HRT-u, ta televizija nije ni lijeva ni desna, nego se razlièiti ideološki profili mogu prepoznati u pojedinim emisijama. To uglavnom ovisi o urednicima tih emisija, tvrdi Skoko. Iako bi objektivnost i neovisnost trebale biti iznad svega, rijeè je ipak o ljudima i nerijetko na površinu isplivaju njihova vlastita uvjerenja, stajališta i predrasude nastavlja Skoko. No, na HTV-u ima poprilièan broj uravnoteženih emisija i stoga je nemoguæe generalizirati i svrstavati HRT na ovu ili onu stranu.
Žarko Puhovski tvrdi da on kao ljevièar smatra da je glupost desna i da HTV kao glupa televizija može biti jedino desna. Dodaje da kao predsjednik HHO-a može samo reæi da je glupost prema rodu i ideološki neutralna i da je to jedini njegov komentar na to je li HRT lijevi ili desni.
S druge strane, prof. dr. Stjepan Maloviæ s Fakulteta politièkih znanosti u Zagrebu drži da HTV ne bi smio biti ni lijevi ni desni ili, pak, može biti i lijeva i desna televizija ako zastupa interese javnosti.
Naravno, pritom mora prezentirati uravnoteženo i nepristrano sve politièke opcije u zemlji. Javna televizija ne služi ni državi, ni strankama, ni ideologijama, veæ javnosti u kojoj postoje sve ove opcije. Stoga je razumljivo da javnost oèekuje da æe, gledajuæi HRT, doznati bogatstvo pluralistièke politièke scene. Novinari teško mogu suspregnuti svoje politièke stavove smatra Maloviæ, ali dodaje da novinar ne bi smio na javnoj televiziji iskazivati osobne politièke stavove, veæ zastupati interes javnosti.
Na HRT-u ima novinara koji su bili vezani uz politièke stranke, što se teško zaboravlja i oboji njihove izvještaje koliko god se oni trudili biti nepristrani. Tako, nastavlja Maloviæ, pamtimo Ladišiæa kao glasnogovornika SDP-a, a Hloverku Novak-Srziæ kao istaknutu èlanicu HDZ-a potkraj devedesetih. Taj politièki angažman oni nose i dalje bez obzira na to postoji li još ili ne zakljuèuje Maloviæ.
Komercijalna utrka
Novinarka i profesorica na FPZ-u Marina Muèalo smatra da HRT nije ni lijevo ni desno. Problem je što se javna televizija natjeèe s komercijalnim televizijama. No, bilo bi bolje da se HRT koristi svojim novèanim i kadrovskim resursima kako bi nametnuo svoj stil. Najviše zamjeram HRT-u što prihvaæa tu utrku u kojoj, na temelju vlastite snage, uopæe ne bi trebao sudjelovati.
Komièar Željko Pervan odbija uopæe razmišljati u kategorijama lijevo-desno. Ne znam za podjelu ljudi na lijeve i desne jer èovjek unutar sebe ima lijevu i desnu stranu. Ima lijevu i desnu ruku i lijevu i desnu stranu mozga. Stoga su kriteriji po kojima bi televizija bila lijeva ili desna kategorije za slaboumne. Dakle, umjesto da se bave ljudima, oni ih stavljaju u kuæice koje se inaèe zovu predrasude tvrdi Pervan. To samo rade ljudi koji nisu dovoljno intelektualno potentni da bi pravili razlike meðu ljudima. Novinare na HRT-u dijelim na one koji rade za opæe dobro i one koji potenciraju komplekse i to je sva mudrost zakljuèuje Pervan.
Književnik Hrvoje Hitrec istièe da je HRT prema definiciji javna televizija, a po duhu i osjeæaju trebao bi biti nacionalna. Ljudi koji èine publiku HRT-a nepogrešivo znaju prepoznati kada se njima manipulira ili kada im netko želi nametnuti svoj svjetonazor, nastavlja Hitrec. U strahu od pada gledanosti, kaže on, HRT zaboravlja na svoje posebne zadaæe.
Anita Malenica
ZAGREB - Književnica i kolumnistica Vedrana Rudan osloboðena je optužbe zbog uvrede Ljubomira Èuèiæa izreèene u "Latinici" pod nazivom "Tamna strana braka". Oslobaðajuæu presudu suca Marka Benèiæa Rudanova nije èula jer zbog upale sinusa nije došla na raspravu.
Vladimir Gredelj kazao je uime branjenika Èuèiæa na poèetku roèišta da odustaju od kaznenog progona zbog klevete, ali da ostaju pri uvredi. U izmijenjenoj tužbi okvalificirane su kao uvrede reèenice i pitanja koja je u Latinici izrekla književnica: "Žao mi je što sam u prostoriji s jednim takvim biæem. Nastojat æu ga ne gledati pa æe mi biti lakše", "Hoæemo li samo o nasilniku ovdje prièati?", "Pitajte ga je li mu i prva žena letjela niza stepenice."
Juèer je sat vremena u sudnici gledana "Latinica" zbog utvrðivanja èinjeniènog stanja. Èuèiæ je u sudnici pognuth ramena te tijela lagano zgrèenog i s kažiprstom preko usta slušao svoje izlaganje o tome kako on sam osuðuje nasilje te kako je samo jednom "tresnuo" ženu. Doimao se tjeskobnim i jadnim pa je pogled na njega gotovo izazivao sažaljenje dok se gledala potresna reportaža o muènom zlostavljanju njegove danas bivše supruge Magali Boers.
U obrazloženju presude sudac je naveo da su izreèene reèenice Vedrane Rudan o Èuèiæu u emisiji o kojoj se govorilo o obiteljskom nasilju vrijedonosni sud. Dodao je da okrivljena ima pravo reæi da joj se ne sviða nasilje, kao i to da joj se ne sviða biti s odreðenom osobom u studiju. Inaèe, pred istim sucem vodi se kazeni postupak protiv Èuèiæa zbog obiteljskog nasilja. Danas u tom postupku treba biti ispitana njegova bivša supruga, koja æe doputovati iz Francuske gdje živi s njihove dvije malodobne kæeri. D. Jurasiæ
International Advocacy Mission for Press Freedom in Nepal - March 19- 26 2006
Press Release
In response to continued violations of press freedom and freedom of expression in Nepal, twelve international organisations, including UN agency, global media associations, freedom of expression advocates and media development organisations, are undertaking a joint mission to Nepal from 20 to 25 March 2006.
After a first mission in July 2005, when a large group of press freedom and freedom of expression organisations came together to undertake a joint mission in support of the national media community, the March 2006 mission is a direct continuation of this process and the inclusion of more organisations demonstrates the ever growing concern of the international community about the situation in the country.
The members of the mission will meet with a broad cross-section of the national media community to discuss the press freedom and freedom of expression situation. They will also meet with key institutions and decision-maker amongst the national authorities, security forces and other parties to stress respect for press freedom and freedom of expression.
In addition, the mission will visit three districts in Nepal - Pokhara, Surkhet and Birtamod - and will meet with local civil and army authorities and representatives from the local media in these areas. The members of the mission will also participate in a national conference on press freedom in Nepal to be held in Kathmandu on 24 March.
The international organizations participating on the mission include:
Three other international organisations, which participated in the July 2005 mission, are supporting the return mission in March 2006. These organisations include:
The mission is organised in Nepal by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists in collaboration with a group of twenty-eight Nepalese organisations, institutes and networks. International coordination for the mission is being provided by International Media Support.
For further information, please contact:
Thomas Hughes - IMS Deputy Director
Phone: +45 32 69 89 89
E-mail: th@i-m-s.dk
(or)
Faruq Faisel - IMS Mission Coordinator
Phone: + 977 1 4490063
E-mail: ffaisel@web.net
ANEM WEEKLY MEDIA UPDATE
March 7-14, 2006
JOURNALISTS AND POLICE
BELGRADE, March 6, 2006 (FoNet) - Belgrade lawyer Bozo Prelevic claims some less acclaimed journalists used to offer him anything in return for police identifications.
Former Police co-Minister in the transitory Government after October 2000 also says that journalists told them that some former police ministers used to provide them with official police IDs. Not wanting to state any names, Prelevic said that those journalists had never become important names in the profession.
Speaking at the seminar "Challenges in reporting on police and crime", Prelevic noted that in some situations journalists and press had most definitely been used as instruments for destruction in hands of certain political groups and tycoons.
"There are 'clairvoyants' among journalists, the ones who know beforehand who is going to be arrested. Rather interesting information appear very often in the media, even if they have never been recorded in court's reports", said Prelevic.
Noting that media had often been used for threatening witnesses and that some reports were a good ground for some witnesses or suspects' escape, Prelevic used the example of the warrant being published only two hours after the murder of the Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. Prelevic claimed the warrant for murder suspects had not been proclaimed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that is, Police Minister Dusan Mihajlovic.
The relationship of media and police has not changed much since the period before October 2000. According to the research carried out by the Association of Serbian Journalists (UNS), 40 surveyed journalists from electronic and print media that cover the work of police said that important information was still being withheld or was obtained mainly unofficially.
34 percent of the respondents said the attitude of police toward the media in Serbia had not changed, 5 percent thought it had worsened, 28 percent said it had changed a bit, whereas 20 percent believed it had improved at some extent. More than 50 percent of respondents said the information was refused by the police almost every time (18 percent) or many times (36 percent), rarely (15 percent) and 10 percent of them said they always received the requested information.
41 percent of surveyed journalists said they obtained unofficial information from the police, mostly from the chiefs or other police officers (31 percent) or from their contacts working in the police force (10 percent).
28 percent of journalists were physically harassed for the articles they wrote, while 72 percent said they had never been harassed. In 36 percent of cases, journalists' families were harassed. Three percent of journalists responded that their editors told them "not to make waves" or to stop their investigation, while the personal interest of editors was stated as the reason in 5 percent of the cases.
AWARD FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING
VIENNA, March 8, 2006 (Danas) - The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) announced the Dr Erhard Busek - SEEMO 2006 Award for better understanding in South East Europe.
The application deadline is May 1, 2006.
The SEEMO will be given to a journalist, editor, media executive or person educating journalists in South Eastern Europe, for using the media to promote a climate of better understanding among people in the region and to work towards ending minority problems, ethnic divisions, racism, xenophobia etc.
The award will be worth 2000 euros, sponsored by Dr Erhard Busek, special coordinator for the Stability Pact, said in the statement of the SEEMO.
In 2002, the recipient of the Award was Croatian journalist Denis Latin. One year later, in 2003, the award was given to the former chief editor of Sarajevo daily "Oslobodjenje" Kemal Kurspahic, and in 2005, to Brankica Petkovic, Head of the Center for Media Policy at the Peace Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The international jury deciding on the award winner will be representatives of the media in the region and OSCE and Stability Pact officials.
The applications could be sent to info@seemo.org.
JOURNALIST KILLED
VALJEVO, March 10, 2006 (Borba) - A female body, found two days ago in the village Slovac near the regional road Belgrade-Valjevo, has been identified by the Valjevo Police, as Dusica Zujovic (1979) from Vracevici near Lajkovac.
Zujovic was working as a journalist and presenter at the local radio station in Lazarevac, Radio "Tunja". She was killed and thrown into the stream near a drinking fountain.
The local police stated, although they were following some leads, they were reluctant to state any names at this point.
NUNS ASSEMBLY
BELGRADE, March 10, 2006 (Danas) - Regular Assembly of the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists (NUNS) is announced for tomorrow at Belgrade Media Center.
The Assembly will elect new management of the Association with two-year term, and present the report on operations for the past two years. Also, the new statutory changes will be proposed and discussed.
DISCOUNT FOR FREQUENCY UP TO 20 PERCENT
BELGRADE, March 10, 2006 (Glas javnosti) - The Broadcast Agency Council will not release the number or names of the applicants for national radio or TV frequencies until the competition is concluded, said the deputy chairman of the Council yesterday.
Members of the Council will only be considering the respect of the legal propositions for frequency allocation, and nothing else. The conditions, said Vasic, could not be changed during the competition therefore remarks of certain media and their objections to the level of established fees for frequencies would not be taken into account.
The media could negotiate more favorable conditions before the competition. However, the only concession that could be achieved in line with the propositions was the discount, up to 20 percent.
"The changes in fees could be discussed only within 6 months from the start of broadcasting. During that period, the work of the broadcaster the respect of the proposed conditions would be monitored, in order to allow the highest discount rate. Members of the Council believe that the broadcasting fees were too high and that they should have been at least half of that. All interested in national frequency must understand that members of the Council did not write this law and that they are here only to implement it. It is a question for the lawmakers whether some stations that broadcast only program for children or cultural issues are in less favorable position regarding the fees. The Council recognizes only three types of broadcasters - public service, commercial radio and TV stations and civil, that is, local stations", said Vasic.
KOJADINOVIC: RTS PUBLIC SERVICE AS OF APRIL 30
BELGRADE, March 10, 2006 (Glas javnosti) - Serbian Culture and Media Minister Dragan Kojadinovic said last night that Radio Television Serbia (RTS) would become a public service broadcaster by April 30.
Kojadinovic said his recent visit to RTS was the last time some state official visited the future public service.
Culture Minister also said that the state will amortize 27 million dinars of the total 55 million of debt, following the example of other countries in the region where the state television stations had been transformed into a public service.
NEW NUNS PRESIDENT ELECTED
BELGRADE, March 12, 2006 (Blic) - Nadezda Gace was elected new President of Independent Association of Serbian Journalists (NUNS) yesterday.
Gace was elected by secret voting among other candidates for the position - Marijana Milosavljevic, Petar Lazic, Filip Mladenovic and Vera Jankovic.
Speaking at the regular Assembly, new NUNS President said in the future, the association should aim to improve the professionalism of journalists and their protection, as well as to enable fulfillment of freelance journalists' rights.
The Assembly also elected Ljubica Gojgic, Djordje Vlajic, Dragan Janjic, Danijela Segan, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, Dragan Bisenic, Radoman Iric, Rade Radovanovic, Natasa Bogovic and Branko Vukotic as members to the Executive Committee for the two-year period.
In addition, members of the Court of Honor, Regulatory Council and Committee for admission of new members have also been elected at the session.
ZAGREB - Predsjednik HND-a Dragutin Luèiæ ocijenio je neozbiljnom ideju Hvidre, koja od HND-a namjerava tražiti popis svih novinara koji su osuðivani za klevetu, pokušavajuæi tako u istu ravan dovesti novinare i predsjednika Hvidre Josipa Ðakiæa, osuðivanog zbog nasilništva.
- Presude mogu dobiti samo od suda. Ono što presudi naš Sud èasti može se pronaæi na našim internetskim stranicama, poruèio je Luèiæ. L. T.
14 March 2006
Media Release
As Iraq Media Death Toll Soars IFJ Warns United States Over “Culture of Impunity”
The International Federation of Journalists today said that the failure of the United States to respond to calls for independent investigation of cases where journalists and media staff have been killed by US soldiers is encouraging a culture of impunity in the killing of media staff around the world.
The IFJ says that journalists around the world feel the greatest outrage over terrorists and undemocratic governments who are mainly to blame for the routine and increasingly violent attacks against media and journalists.
“But when the world’s leading democracy scorns the notion of justice for the victims of violence in its jurisdiction, it gives confidence to those who target journalists in countries where freedom hardly exists,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary.
The IFJ was responding to a Spanish court ruling which last week absolved the US military of criminal responsibility in the killing of two journalists in Iraq three years ago. The Supreme Court ruled that US tank fire directed against the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, where Spanish television journalist José Couso and Ukrainian journalist Taras Protsiuk, who worked for Reuters, were killed on 8 April 2003, was "an act of war carried out against an apparent enemy, incorrectly identified”.
The Court said Spain has "no jurisdiction" to pursue the case after the US refused to allow three named soldiers involved in the attack to co-operate with the Court’s investigation. The United States had provided "no judicial cooperation" in the investigation.
“Such a lack of co-operation can encourage a culture of impunity which is enjoyed by the enemies of press freedom and independent journalism,” said White. “The crisis of impunity sees increasing intimidation, murder and kidnapping of journalists and media staff which is largely ignored and unpunished.”
The IFJ is supporting the family of José Couso who are appealing against the decision of the Supreme Court decision and is also backing the calls for justice from the family and colleagues of Tareq Ayyoub, a journalist killed on the same day when US forces attacked the offices of the satellite channel Al-Jazeera.
“While there are still questions to be answered in 19 cases, the US at the very least should now give serious thought to an agreed formula for cooperation with media and journalists in the field, particularly in conflict situations,” said White. The IFJ says that the US should follow the lead of its British counterparts who, in their Green Book of media operations, have formally recognised the issue of journalist safety in war – http://www.newssafety.com/stories/insi/mod280206.htm
The IFJ plans to organise worldwide protests on 8 April this year to highlight demands for action against impunity. This is the anniversary of the US attack on the Palestine Hotel, a media centre in Baghdad, and the bombing of Al Jazeera.
The IFJ notes that nine Iraqi journalists and media staff have been killed so far in 2006. Late yesterday, Muhsin Khudayyir, also known as Abu Risalah, chief editor of the weekly magazine Alif Ba, was assassinated by unidentified persons who attacked him in his place of residence in Al-Ilam district in Baghdad.
Over the weekend, gunmen assassinated a senior editor for Iraq's state television Al-Iraqiya, along with his driver as they headed to work in Baghdad. Amjad Hameed had just left his house in central Baghdad when a car blocked his way and gunmen shot him in the head. Yesterday, an Iraqi militant group affiliated to al Qaeda said it was behind the killing.
On 7 March unidentified gunmen shot Munsuf Abdallah al-Khaldi, a Baghdad TV presenter as he was driving from Baghdad to the northern city of Mosul. The attackers stopped the car and fired three bullets into al-Khaldi. One passenger was also killed and the other two passengers injured. Baghdad TV is owned by the Iraqi Islamic Party, the biggest Sunni political group. In the last year, two correspondents for the station have been killed.
These killings bring the number of journalists and media staff killed in Iraq since March 2003 to 114 says the IFJ. Most of the dead are local Iraqis and the majority have been victims of targeted assassination. Others died in incidents of crossfire.
The IFJ says that suffering of journalists in Iraq is intolerable and more must be done to relieve the pressure they face. On its own behalf and in co-operation with the International News Safety Institute, the global campaign for news safety, the IFJ has helped provide safety training for more than 150 journalists in Iraq.
The IFJ also remains concerned about the fate of three media staff – Jill Carroll of the Christian Science Monitor, and the two Iraqi journalists Rim Zeid and Marwan Khazaal of Sumariya TV – who have been taken hostage and are held by violent extremists. In the last two years almost 60 journalists have been kidnapped in Iraq, ten of whom have been murdered.
The IFJ, backed by its affiliates in both the United States and Iraq, is continuing to call for the immediate release of these three colleagues and an end to violence against journalists in Iraq.
For further information contact the IFJ : +32 2 235 22 07
The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries