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Monitoring medijske scene izrađuje se s ciljem kontinuiranog praćenja događaja i procesa koji utiču na stanje medijskih sloboda u Republici Srbiji. Autori monitoringa bave se: slobodom izražavanja; praćenjem implementacije postojećih propisa; usvajanjem novih propisa, ali i izmenama i dopunama aktuelnih, kako iz oblasti medija, tako i iz drugih oblasti koje na direktan ili indirektan način utiču na slobodu medija; kao i analizom SLAPP tužbi (strateških tužbi protiv učešća javnosti) usmerenih prema novinarima i medijima.

Sloboda izražavanja

Za avgust mesec analizirano je saopštenje Evropske federacije novinara (EFJ), čiji je neposredan povod bio incident koji se dogodio tokom predstavljanja programa EU „Digitalna Evropa” u Naučno-tehnološkom parku u Beogradu. Broj incidenata nastavlja da se povećava, što je zabrinjavajući pokazatelj da se situacija sa medijskim slobodama u Srbiji pogoršava.  Detaljnije je analiziran slučaj nepoštovanja Kodeksa novinara Srbije, povodom načina izveštavanja o događaju iz Osnovne škole „Vladislav Ribnikar”, u vezi sa kojim su roditelji ubijene dece upitli pismo medijima. Takođe je urađena analiza slučaja Vojina Radovanovića, novinara dnevnog lista Danas, slučaj objavljivanja spota kojim se targetiraju novinari N1 i Nova, slučaj Nezavisnog društva novinara Vojvodine (NDNV), slučaj Olivere Vladković, vlasnice OK radija, i Svetlane Ivanov, zaspolene u OK radiju, zatim slučaj Srđana Nonića, građanskog aktiviste i glavnog i odgovornog urednika portala Niška inicijativa, kao i slučaj Dragane Jovičić Bujak, novinarke informativnog portala BAP vesti, gde se ponovo može videti da novinari u Srbiji rade pod verbalnim pritiskom visokih državnih funkcionera.

Monitoring procesa usvajanja novih zakona

Primetan je nedostatak političke volje za istinsko uređivanje oblasti medija, tako da bez obzira na to što je nacrt Zakona o javnom informisanju i medijima završen, zbog pojedinih spornih rešenja on i dalje nije dovršen. Drugi važan zakon za medijsku zajednicu, Zakon o elektronskim medijima takođe nije donet, iako je rok za njegovo usvajanje istekao u drugom kvartalu 2022. godine. Monitoring izveštaj detaljnije obrađuje trenutno stanje, sporna pitanja, kao i potencijalne posledice ukoliko se usvajanje zakona i dalje bude odlagalo. Navodi se da su se medijski stručnjaci više puta oglašavali na temu izmena zakona, uključujući poslednje saopštenje Koalicije za slobodu medija.

Implementacija postojećih propisa

Kada je u pitanju projektno sufinansiranje, u avgustu mesecu su na sajtu Ministarstva informisanja i telekomunikacija objavljeni rezultati 9 konkursa iz oblasti javnog informisanja, koji su bili raspisani radi pružanja finansijske podrške proizvodnji medijskih sadržaja koji doprinose ostvarivanju javnog interesa u oblasti javnog informisanja, kao i za sufinansiranje projekata organizovanja i učešća na stručnim, naučnim i prigodnim skupovima i unapređivanja profesionalnih i etičkih standarda. Za ovu svrhu iz budžeta je opredeljeno ukupno 310 miliona dinara, a mediji koji su učestvovali na konkursu i čiji su projekti podržani od strane Ministarstva navedeni su u monitoring izveštaju. Izdvojen je postupak pred Poverenikom za informacije od javnog značaja i zaštitu podataka o ličnosti, koji je postupajući po žalbi poništio rešenje kojim je Ministarstvo informisanja i telekomunikacija odbilo da Udruženju novinara Srbije (UNS) dostavi profesionalne biografije osoba koje su se prijavile za članove komisija za ocenjivanje medijskih projekata na konkursima koje je Ministarstvo raspisalo ove godine.

SLAPP tužbe usmerene prema novinarima i medijima

Objavljen je nov izveštaj Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE), sa ažuriranim podacima o broju pokrenutih postupaka koji imaju karakteristike SLAPP-a. Srbija se nalazi na vrhu liste novih 250 slučajeva zabeleženih u poslednjih godinu dana, budući da je 10. u Evropi po broju podnetih SLAPP tužbi. Iako je Koalicija identifikovala 28 novih slučajeva, prema nezvaničnim podacima u Srbiji je podnet značajno veći broj tužbi. Analizirana je prvostepena presuda u sporu koji je pred Višim sudom u Beogradu protiv redakcije KRIK-a i njegovog glavnog urednika Stevana Dojčinovića vodio Predrag Koluvija, gde je sud zauzeo stav da je povređena tužiočeva pretpostavka nevinosti. Protiv navedene presude tuženi su izjavili žalbu, a prema oceni medijskih udruženja, Koluvijine tužbe predstavljaju pritisak na novinare da prestanu da se bave slučajem „Jovanjica”, jednim od najvećih i najznačajnijih suđenja u zemlji. Takođe se navodi  presuda Apelacionog suda u Beogradu kojom se delimično usvaja tužbeni zahtev tužioca Igora Novovića, bivšeg zamenika gradonačelnika Novog Pazara i funkcionera Srpske napredne strane (SNS), u postupku koji se vodio protiv Ishaka Slezovića, direktora radija Sto Plus, urednika Nikole Kočovića i agencije Beta. Tema spornog članka bila je smrt Novopazarca do koje je došlo nakon tuče sa taksistom. Zbog istog teksta Novović je paralelno sa parničnim inicirao i krivični postupak protiv Kočovića za krivično delo Uvreda, ali je Osnovni sud, nakon skoro četiri godine suđenja i promene troje sudija, novinara oslobodio optužbi. Beta je najavila da će podneti reviziju Vrhovnom sudu.

Ova publikacija objavljena je uz finansijsku pomoć Evropske unije i Ministarstva informisanja i telekomunikacija. Za sadržinu ove publikacije isključivo je odgovorna Asocijacija nezavisnih elektronskih medija i ta sadržina nipošto ne izražava zvanične stavove Evropske unije i Ministarstva informisanja i telekomunikacija.

Za izradu monitoringa koriste se javno dostupni podaci, podaci dobijeni od novinara, urednika i drugih medijskih radnika, novinarskih udruženja i medijskih asocijacija, kao i državnih i nedržavnih organa.  

Ovaj Monitoring izveštaj uradio je stručni monitoring tim ANEM-a iz advokatske kancelarije „Živković&Samardžić", a celokupan se može pronaći na ovom linku.

SERBIA'S MEDIA SCENE IN AUGUST 2023

Monitoring of the media scene is carried out with the aim of continuous monitoring of events and processes that affect the state of media freedom in the Republic of Serbia. The authors of the monitoring deal with: freedom of expression; monitoring the implementation of existing regulations; by adopting new regulations, but also by amending and supplementing the current ones, both from the field of media, and from other areas that directly or indirectly affect the freedom of the media; as well as by analyzing SLAPP lawsuits (strategic lawsuits against public participation) directed against journalists and media.

Freedom of speech

For the month of August, the statement of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) was analyzed, the immediate cause of which was the incident that occurred during the presentation of the EU program "Digital Europe" in the Science and Technology Park in Belgrade. The number of incidents continues to increase, which is a worrying indicator that the situation with media freedom in Serbia is worsening. The case of non-compliance with the Serbian Code of Journalists was analyzed in more detail, regarding the manner of reporting on the event from the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School, in connection with which the parents of the murdered children sent a letter to the media. An analysis was also made of the case of Vojin Radovanović, a journalist from the daily newspaper Danas, the case of the publication of a video targeting journalists from N1 and Nova, the case of the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina (NDNV), the case of Olivera Vladković, the owner of OK Radio, and Svetlana Ivanov, employed at OK Radio, then the case of Srđan Nonić, civil activist and editor-in-chief of the Niška inicijativa portal, as well as the case of Dragana Jovičić Bujak, journalist of the news portal BAP news, where it can be seen again that journalists in Serbia work under verbal pressure from high-ranking state officials.

Monitoring of the process of adoption of new laws

There is a noticeable lack of political will for genuine regulation of the media area, so regardless of the fact that the draft Law on Public Information and Media has been completed, it is still not completed due to certain disputed solutions. Another important law for the media community, the Law on Electronic Media, has also not been adopted, although the deadline for its adoption expired in the second quarter of 2022. The monitoring report deals in more detail with the current situation, controversial issues, as well as the potential consequences if the adoption of the law continues to be delayed. It is said that media experts have repeatedly advertised on the subject of changes to the law, including the latest statement from the Coalition for Freedom of the Media.

Implementation of existing regulations

When it comes to project co-financing, in August the results of 9 competitions in the field of public information were published on the website of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications. A total of 310 million dinars has been allocated from the budget for this purpose, and the media that participated in the competition and whose projects were supported by the Ministry are listed in the monitoring report. The proceedings before the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Protection of Personal Data, which acted on the appeal, annulled the decision by which the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications refused to submit to the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) the professional biographies of persons who applied to be members of evaluation commissions for media projects in the tenders announced by the Ministry this year.

SLAPP lawsuits directed at journalists and media

A new report by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) has been published, with updated data on the number of SLAPP-like actions brought. Serbia tops the list of 250 new cases recorded in the last year, being 10th in Europe in terms of the number of SLAPP lawsuits filed. Although the Coalition identified 28 new cases, according to unofficial data, a significantly higher number of lawsuits were filed in Serbia. The first-instance verdict in the dispute before the High Court in Belgrade against the KRIK newsroom and its editor-in-chief Stevan Dojčinović was led by Predrag Koluvija, where the court took the position that the prosecutor's presumption of innocence was violated. The defendants filed an appeal against the aforementioned verdict, and according to media associations, Koluvija's lawsuits represent pressure on journalists to stop dealing with the "Jovanjica" case, one of the largest and most significant trials in the country. It also mentions the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Belgrade, which partially accepts the claim of prosecutor Igor Novović, former deputy mayor of Novi Pazar and official of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), in the proceedings against Ishak Slezović, director of Radio Sto Plus, editor Nikola Kočović and agency Beta. The subject of the disputed article was the death of a resident of Novi Pazar, which occurred after a fight with a taxi driver. Because of the same article, Novović initiated criminal proceedings against Kočović for the criminal offense of Insult, but the Basic Court, after almost four years of trial and a change of three judges, acquitted the journalist. Beta has announced that it will file a review with the Supreme Court.

This publication was published with the financial assistance of the European Union and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia. The Association of Independent Electronic Media is solely responsible for the content of this publication, and this content in no way expresses the official views of the European Union and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications.

Publicly available data, data obtained from journalists, editors and other media workers, journalist associations and media associations, as well as state and non-state bodies are used for monitoring.

he monitoring report was prepared by ANEM's expert monitoring team from the "Živković & Samardžić" law office, and the entire report can be found at this link.