English version below
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
Stalna radna grupa za bezbednost novinara (SRG), koju čine predstavnici tužilaštva, policije i šest medijskih i novinarskih udruženja objavila je prvi tromesečni bilten koji sadrži podatke o napadima na novinare u periodu od jula do septembra 2023. godine. Prema ažuriranim podacima Višeg javnog tužilaštva, od početka 2023. godine, zaključno sa oktobrom mesecom zabeleženo je sedamdeset slučajeva pretnji i napada na novinare. Izveštaj za oktobar mesec detaljnije obrađuje slučaj redakcije RTS-a, slučaj redakcije JUGPress, slučaj Miljka Stojanovića, novinara redakcije Danas, slučaj redakcije KRIK.
Monitoring procesa usvajanja novih zakona
U oktobru mesecu zaključena je javna rasprava i usvojena su dva medijska zakona, koja su izazvala podeljena mišljenja u stručnoj javnosti. Među aktuelnim temama u vezi sa usvojenim zakonskim rešenjima bilo je pitanje omogućavanja državi da posredno bude vlasnik medija, kao i mogućnost novinara i medijskih radnika da u toku godišnjeg i nedeljnog odmora ne moraju odgovarati na pozive poslodavca. Kada je u pitanju Zakon o elektronskim medijima, ključno pitanje je bilo organizacija Regulatornog tela za elektronske medije (REM-a). Novine su uspostavljanje novih organa REM-a, a nakon isteka mandata može se očekivati i izbor novih članova REM-a.
Implementacija postojećih propisa
Ministarstvu informisanja i telekomunikacija će u 2024. godini za ostvarivanje javnog interesa u oblasti informisanja na raspolaganju biti 8% više sredstava nego što je za tu svrhu bilo opredeljeno budžetom za 2023. godinu, tokom koje je bilo raspisano devet konkursa za sufinansiranje medijskih projekata iz oblasti javnog informisanja. U monitoring izveštaju izvršena je analiza ukupnih iznosa opredeljenih za sufinansiranje medijskih projekata za tekuću godinu, kao i budžetska linije za narednu godinu u ovoj oblasti.
SLAPP tužbe usmerene prema novinarima i medijima
Analiziran je izveštaj Saveta Evrope o Srbiji u kome su obrađeni slučaj napada na redakciju lista „Danas“, pretnje smrću novinarkama Jeleni Obućini i Brankici Stanković, fizički napad na reportera Foneta Marka Dragoslavića, zastrašivanje dopisnika N1 Milana Nikića, kao i pretnje autorima podkasta ,,Dobar, loš, zao” Marku Vidojkoviću i Nenadu Kulačinu, a u izveštaju se podseća i da su tri ubistva novinara i dalje bez epiloga. Prema zvaničnim podacima nadležnih institucija u Srbiji u periodu od 2020. do 2022. godine registrovana su 32 fizička i 41 verbalna napada na novinare. Kao pozitivne primere reakcije nadležnih institucija na napade na novinare, konstatovana je prvostepena presuda za paljenje kuće novinaru Milanu Jovanoviću, kao i pravnosnažna presuda lokalnom biznismenu zbog pretnji redakciji vranjanskog OK radija. Od SLAPP tužbi navode se tužbe Vladimira Đukanovića, funkcionera i poslanika Srpske napredne stranke, a analiziran je i postupak po tužbi Dejana Đorđevića, navodnog kupca univerziteta Megatrend, koju je podneo protiv Danas.
Medijski monitoring objavljen je uz finansijsku pomoć Evropske unije i Ministarstva informisanja i telekomunikacija. Za njegovu sadržinu isključivo je odgovorna Asocijacija nezavisnih elektronskih medija i ta sadržina nipošto ne izražava zvanične stavove Evropske unije i Ministarstva informisanja i telekomunikacija.
Ovaj Monitoring Izveštaj uradio je stručni monitoring tim ANEM-a iz advokatske kancelarije „Živković&Samardžić", u saradnji sa ANEM-om, a celokupan se može pronaći na ovom linku.
SERBIA'S MEDIA SCENE IN OCTOBER 2023
ANEM monitoring report for October 2023 on freedom of expression, old and new regulations and analysis of SLAPP lawsuits
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 expression
The Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists (PWG), which consists of representatives of the prosecutor's office, the police and six media and journalist associations, published the first quarterly bulletin containing data on attacks on journalists in the period from July to September 2023. According to the updated data of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, from the beginning of 2023, ending with the month of October, seventy cases of threats and attacks against journalists were recorded. The report for the month of October deals in more detail with the case of the RTS newsroom, the case of the JUGPress newsroom, the case of Miljko Stojanović, a journalist from the Danas newsroom, and the case of the KRIK newsroom.
Monitoring of the process of adoption of new laws
In October, a public discussion was concluded and two media laws were adopted, which caused divided opinions among the professional public. Among the current topics related to the adopted legal solutions was the issue of enabling the state to indirectly own the media, as well as the possibility of journalists and media workers not having to answer the employer's calls during their annual and weekly vacation. When it comes to the Law on Electronic Media, the key issue was the organization of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM). The news is the establishment of new REM bodies, and after the end of the mandate, the election of new REM members can be expected.
Implementation of existing regulations
In 2024, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications will have 8% more funds available for the realization of public interest in the field of information than was determined for that purpose in the budget for 2023, during which nine tenders were announced for the co-financing of media projects in the field of public information. In the monitoring report, an analysis of the total amounts determined for the co-financing of media projects for the current year, as well as the budget lines for the following year in this area, was performed.
SLAPP lawsuits directed at journalists and media
The report of the Council of Europe on Serbia was analyzed, which dealt with the case of the attack on the editorial office of the newspaper "Danas", death threats to journalists Jelena Obućina and Brankica Stanković, physical attack on Fonet reporter Marko Dragoslavić, intimidation of N1 correspondent Milan Nikić, as well as threats to podcast authors "The Good, the Bad, the Evil" Marko Vidojković and Nenad Kulačin. The report also reminds us that the three murders of journalists are still without an epilogue.
According to official data from competent institutions in Serbia, 32 physical and 41 verbal attacks on journalists were registered in the period from 2020 to 2022. As positive examples of the reaction of competent institutions to attacks on journalists, the first-instance verdict for burning down the house of journalist Milan Jovanović, as well as the final verdict against a local businessman for threatening the editorial staff of Vranje's OK radio, were noted. From the SLAPP lawsuits, the lawsuits of Vladimir Đukanović, an official and deputy of the Serbian Progressive Party, are cited, and the proceedings of the lawsuit filed against Danas by Dejan Đorđević, the alleged buyer of Megatrend University, are also analyzed.
Media monitoring was published with the financial support of the European Union and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications. The Association of Independent Electronic Media is solely responsible for its content, and that content in no way expresses the official views of the European Union and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications.
This Monitoring Report was prepared by ANEM's expert monitoring team from the law office "Živković & Samardžić" in cooperation with ANEM, and the entire report can be found at this link.