Public Service Media Under Crossfire by Protest Movements
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March 2019 Media Programme South East Europe Public Service Media Under Crossfire by Protest Movements Protesters in South East Europe criticise their governments and demand more independence of the public broadcasters Hendrik Sittig, Darija Fabijanić There is seething unrest in South East Europe and immediately it is called ”Balkan Spring.” Many people are protesting in the capitals of Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Croatia out of dissatisfaction with their governments. This frustration is targeted towards the media in these countries as well – especially the public service media which are frequently considered a mouthpiece of the government. The protesters therefore call for resignation of the general directors of the broadcasters. “There won’t be a Balkan spring,” says Maja General of the public broadcaster „Radio Kocijančič, Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Televizija Crne Gore“ (RTCG), Božidar Šundić, and Security Policy/European Neighbourhood Policy the dissolution of the RTCG Council. One of the and Enlargement Negotiations at the European march’s organisers Omer Šarkić explains: “This is Commission. “Protests in every country have not a public service broadcaster, but a their own characteristics and I would not propaganda service. For 30 years it disinforms, compare those situations.”1 But she admits that disputes and divides us, instead of informing, there are common elements like corruption, educating and uniting us.”2 Opposition parties opaque power structures and lack of media called for boycotts of the broadcaster. transparency. Due to the wish of more media Furthermore, they started a campaign against freedom, public service media (PSM) are also RTCG by putting stickers onto the RTCG building caught in the crossfire of the protesters. From and other places in Podgorica. their viewpoint, the PSM are too close to the Afterwards, RTCG released following statement: government and are not reporting critically “The management as well as the editorial office enough. of the public broadcaster warns the national and international public that RTCG is put under Montenegro unseen pressure by media, political parties and civil society. It’s about open calls for boycotting Since 2 February, every Saturday up to 10,000 the public broadcaster and for workers to ignore citizens rally against the government in the their tasks. With this model they want to create Montenegrin capital Podgorica. This is a chaos in our media house. We understand the remarkable number considering the fact that the need of the protesters to express their wish for city has only 150,000 inhabitants. The cause for non-institutional change of government which is these protests was a bribery scandal which their choice; however we raise our voice against resulted in the initiative „Odupri se – 97000“ the manner by trying with explicit threats to („Resist – 97000“). They demand resignation of influence the programme of the public president Milo Đukanović, who rules the country broadcaster.“3 Director-General Šundić told already for 30 years, and of further high-level Dnevne novine daily that nobody would resign. officials from the government and judiciary. More The management did its job professionally and than that, the protesters criticise general that only those who elected them can judge structural issues like the poor media situation. them. In addition he admits that it was legitimate Hence, they request resignation of the Director- to strike, criticise and request resignations.4 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. country report March 2019 2 2 Serbia Croatia In Serbia people are already rallying for quite Meanwhile in the EU country Croatia public some time and demonstrating against President service media were also criticised and on 2 March Aleksander Vučić. The protests began on 8 it came to first demonstrations. Compared to the December in Belgrade – with the slogan „Stop neighbouring countries where the initiatives are krvavim košuljama” („Stop the bloody shirts!” “). rooted from the society and citizens, in Zagreb it The cause was an attack on the party leader of was a journalists‘ protest und opposed primarily the Leftists Borko Stefanović. Since then the public broadcaster „Hrvatska Radio Televizija“ protesters meet every Saturday in the streets of (HRT). Belgrade and every Friday in the regions with In the last couple of years criticism against HRT paroles like „1 od 5 miliona“ („1 out of 5 million“) increased, especially due to the appointment und „Počelo je“ („It has started“)5 and ask for the policy of the general management which was full investigation of the attack. In the meantime switched often after government change. other demands were added, e.g. more media Particularly in 2016 the dismissal of the director- freedom. On the website of the protest general caused international outrage, after movement the explicit demands are listed. One already 70 journalists and editors have been of them is directly targeted towards public demoted or reassigned at HRT. The current broadcaster „Radio Televizija Srbije“ (RTS): demonstration was caused however by lawsuits which were filed by HRT against other media as › objective reporting about the demonstrations well as their own journalists. 36 court on RTS proceedings are ongoing where HRT is suing for 6 › five minute airtime on public service media for overall 2.227.500 Kuna (ca. 300.000 Euro) for the organisers of the protests defamation and acts against HRT's honour and › same airtime for all political actors reputation. Lawsuits are also filed against the › change of RTS Director-General Dragan president of the Croatian Journalists Association Bujošević and Editor of the News Programmes (HND) Hrvoje Zovko and the president of the Nenad Lj. Stefanović HND branch at HRT Sanja Mikleušević Pavić because they were criticising their employer On top of that protesters were also showing their publically. The Association is one of the main unrest against public service media by putting organisers of the protest and explains that the stickers („1 out of 5 million“ or „censured!“) on the goal of these lawsuits is to intimidate and RTS building. By this campaign not only RTS was discourage journalists to write critically about the affected, but also pro-government private „Pink public broadcaster. TV“ and daily „Politika“. Hence, one of the main requests of the initiative Additionally there was an one-hour blockade of „Novinarstvo ne damo“ („We aren’t giving up the RTS building to which the broadcaster journalism“) is to drop the lawsuits. At the reacted with following statement: „ This blockade beginning this initiative consisted of 30 civil crosses the border between legitimate protest society organisations which weren’t only calling and illegitimate pressure on employees of the for demonstrations but also a boycott of HRT for public broadcaster.“ RTS hasn’t commented yet two weeks. Opposition parties have also joined on the protesters‘ demands of management the boycott. It went so far that the MP of the resignation. In January, the Director-General was Social Democratic Party (SDP) Gordan Maras supposed to retire due to grounds of age. kicked out a HRT crew from his press conference. However the council prolonged his mandate for A lot of people condemned this – also HND another six months. Organisers announced president Zovko. Maras later apologised. further demonstrations. HRT Director-General Kazimir Bačić expressed his opinions on these events during a press conference: “With this [boycott] the public television is prevented to do its work in informing the public. We consider this a direct hit against Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. country report March 2019 3 3 journalism and unseen political pressure on the some construction projects caused unrest among public television. We request to be protected citizens, e.g. a new city highway in Tirana. This led from this political pressure and that the public to bigger protests which were directed towards television is not used for political interests and the government of Edi Rama. The situation got political score setting.”7 even worse because members of the opposition In the parliament the current situation with HRT have been boycotting the parliament. Contrary to was also discussed. Civil society actors and the other countries public service media hasn’t politicians from the opposition blame the been criticised yet. government of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković for appointing a management close to the Structural issues of PSM as a cause government for this political dependence. The protest march thus passed buildings of the In conclusion Maja Kocijančič is right when she Ministry of Culture and the government where says that this is not a “Balkan Spring.” It is not a eight demands were left.8 regional movement with common actors because the causes are local. However, there are 1. End the misuse of lawsuits as leverage similarities, as it was caused in all countries by against journalists. frustration over economic and political 2. Protect journalists who warn publically circumstances. In the end the reasons are due to about the pressure. structural problems; despite being nominally 3. Secure depolitisation of the Council for democracies the formal control mechanisms are Electronic Media. influenced by state leadership. It is apparent in all 4. Release the management of the public countries that laws are easily passed in broadcaster from its mandate and quickly parliament, the judiciary is not always working change the law on HRT. independently and public service media are often 5. Secure the implementation of the law on functioning as a mouthpiece for the ruling media and the statute of media. parties. These structural issues and lack of 6. Prevent the usurpation of media by local political will for reforms allow these officials. dependencies. In the case of PSM it occurs due to 7. Find blackmailer and attackers of journalists the way of funding and the appointment of and bring them to court. control bodies. Comparably small budgets and 8. Support quality journalism publically.