a lbania M edia integrity Matters reClaiMing publiC serviCe values in Media and journalisM This book is an Media attempt to address obstacles to a democratic development of media systems in the countries of South East Europe by mapping patterns of corrupt relations and prac­ bosnia and Herzegovina tices in media policy development, media ownership and financing, public service broadcasting, and journalism as a profession. It introduces the concept of media in­ tegrity to denote public service values in media and journalism. Five countries were integrity covered by the research presented in this book: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia / MaCedonia / serbia Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia. The research – conducted between July 2013 and February 2014 – was part of the regional project South East European Media Obser­ vatory – Building Capacities and Coalitions for Monitoring Media Integrity and Ad­ vancing Media Reforms, coordinated by the Peace Institute in Ljubljana. Matters reClaiMing publiC serviCe values in Media and journalisM Media integrity M a tters ISBN 978-961-6455-70-0 9 7 8 9 6 1 6 4 5 5 7 0 0 ovitek.indd 1 3.6.2014 8:50:48 ALBANIA MEDIA INTEGRITY MATTERS RECLAIMING PUBLIC SERVICE VALUES IN MEDIA AND JOURNALISM Th is book is an attempt to address obstacles to a democratic development of media systems in the MEDIA countries of South East Europe by mapping patterns of corrupt relations and prac- BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA tices in media policy development, media ownership and fi nancing, public service broadcasting, and journalism as a profession. It introduces the concept of media in- tegrity to denote public service values in media and journalism. Five countries were INTEGRITY covered by the research presented in this book: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia. Th e research – conducted between July 2013 and CROATIA / MACEDONIA / SERBIA February 2014 – was part of the regional project South East European Media Obser- vatory – Building Capacities and Coalitions for Monitoring Media Integrity and Ad- vancing Media Reforms, coordinated by the Peace Institute in Ljubljana. MATTERS RECLAIMING PUBLIC SERVICE VALUES IN MEDIA AND JOURNALISM MEDIA INTEGRITYMATTERS ISBN 978-961-6455-70-0 9 789616 455700 ovitek.indd 1 19.5.2014 10:25:15 Th is book is published within the project South East European Media Observatory <http://mediaobservatory.net> PEACE INSTITUTE Institute for Contemporary Social and Political Studies, Ljubljana, Slovenia . porocilo.indb 1 20.5.2014 9:04:33 Media integrity Matters i c P - Kataložni zaPis o PubliKaciji Reclaiming public service values narodna in univerzitetna Knjižnica, ljubljana in media and journalism 659.3(497)(082) 1st edition 070(497)(082) Publisher Peace Institute, Institute for Media integrity matters : reclaiming public service Contemporary Social and Political Studies, values in media and journalism / [editor Brankica Metelkova 6, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Petković ; assistant editor Jovana Mihajlović <http://www.mirovni-institut.si>. Trbovc]. - 1st ed. - Ljubljana : Peace Institute, e ditor Brankica Petković Institute for Contemporary Social and Political a ssistant editor Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc Studies, 2014 l anguage editor Olga Vuković isbn 978-961-6455-77-0 a dvisory board Sandra B. Hrvatin, Dušan Reljić and Aidan White 1. Petković, Brankica design DAK, Ljubljana, Slovenia 273852416 t yPograPhy Warnock Pro and DIN Par Pe Superprint 80g² Printed by MatFormat, Ljubljana, Slovenia co Pies 300 © 2014 Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia, and all authors. This book has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of the book are the sole responsibility of the Peace In- stitute and the authors, and can under no circum- stances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. The publishing of the book has also been supported by the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. MEDIA INTEGRITY MATTERS RECLAIMING PUBLIC SERVICE VALUES IN MEDIA AND JOURNALISM . porocilo.indb 3 20.5.2014 9:04:34 . porocilo.indb 4 20.5.2014 9:04:34 CONTENTS 9 PREFACE 11 REGIONAL OVERVIEW Sandra B. Hrvatin and Brankica Petković 51 ALBANIA Ilda Londo 119 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Sanela Hodžić 193 CROATIA Helena Popović 257 MACEDONIA Snežana Trpevska and Igor Micevski 327 SERBIA Jovanka Matić and Dubravka Valić Nedeljković 391 FACTS AND FIGURES 447 CONTRIBUTORS . porocilo.indb 5 20.5.2014 9:04:34 . porocilo.indb 6 20.5.2014 9:04:34 PREFACE Th is book is an attempt to address obstacles to a democratic development of media systems in the countries of South East Europe by mapping patterns of corrupt relations and practices in media policy development, media ownership and fi nancing, public serv- ice broadcasting, and journalism as a profession. It introduces the concept of media integ- rity to denote the public-service values of media and journalism. In analyzing the current situation of the media, the focus was on the assessment of factors that have been identi- fi ed as posing a risk to media integrity, with an overview of past developments if relevant for understanding the current situation. Five countries were covered by the research presented in this book: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia. Th e research – conducted between July 2013 and February 2014 – was part of the regional project South East European Media Observatory – Building Capacities and Coalitions for Monitoring Media Integrity and Advancing Media Reforms. Th e project is a joint eff ort of seven civil society organisations from the fi ve countries mentioned above plus Slovenia and Hungary. Th ey have been for more than a decade part of a broader regional network – South East European Network for Professionalisation of the Media (seenpm), systematically raising voices to promote and protect values of free, independent and responsible media in their countries and on the regional level. Th is book and the project South East European Media Observatory build on the lega- cy of previous research and advocacy actions of the seenpm, especially the 2003/2004 re- search and book on media ownership and its impact on media independence and plural- ism. In fact, the present media integrity research has been an elaboration of the situation “ten years after.” Some of the researchers have been involved in both. We also use the same regional book design to indicate the connection between the two researches. Th e following centers and country researchers contributed to the research presented in the book. COUNTRY PARTNER ORGANISATION COUNTRY RESEARCHER ALBANIA ALBANIAN MEDIA INSTITUTE – TIRANA ILDA LONDO BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA MEDIA CENTER – SARAJEVO SANELA HODŽIC´ CROATIA INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM CENTER – ZAGREB HELENA POPOVIC´ MACEDONIA MACEDONIAN INSTITUTE FOR MEDIA SNEŽANA TRPEVSKA IGOR MICEVSKI SERBIA NOVI SAD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM JOVANKA MATIC´ DUBRAVKA VALIC´ NEDELJKOVIC´ 7 porocilo.indb 7 20.5.2014 9:04:34 During the research period, two workshops for the research team were organised in Novi Sad (in July and October 2013) by the Novi Sad School of Journalism, importantly contributing to the refi nement of the research framework. Th e project advisory board assisted in drafting and implementation of the research by reviewing the methodology and sections of the research reports. Th e board included Sandra B. Hrvatin, University of Primorska, Slovenia, Dušan Reljić, German Institute for International and Security Aff airs, Germany, and Aidan White of Ethical Journalism Net- work. Sandra B. Hrvatin also participated in both research workshops and signifi cantly contributed to the theoretical and comparative overview. Th e research was led and coordinated by the team at the Peace Institute in Ljubljana consisting of Brankica Petković as a lead researcher, and Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc and Maja Ladić as research assistants. With this research and the book, the South East European Media Observatory moves closer to its goal of providing a regional instrument for media research and monitoring, and a regional framework for debates, consultations and coalitions among key actors, seeking to inform and infl uence media reform processes. Th e project has been fi nanced mainly by the European Union’s program “Civil Socie- ty Facility” aimed at the enlargement countries, which explains the selection of countries for this research. In addition, in 2013 and 2014 the see Media Observatory activities have been supported by the Open Society Foundations Program on Independent Journalism, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Media Program for South East Europe, Open Society Foun- dation Serbia, Offi ce for Cooperation with ngos within the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia, Central European Initiative, Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organisations, and the Guard- ian Foundation. Th e reports in this book and eff ort invested in their preparation and presentation rest on the belief that media integrity matters. Public service values in media and journalism are endangered and therefore need to be monitored and protected. 8 MEDIA INTEGRITY MATTERS porocilo.indb 8 20.5.2014 9:04:34 REGIONAL OVERVIEW Sandra B. Hrvatin and Brankica Petković porocilo.indb 9 20.5.2014 9:04:34 JOURNALISM TAKEN FROM JOURNALISTS, MEDIA TAKEN FROM THE PUBLIC Th ere were newspapers founded, and indeed for about ten years, until the big crisis struck, they had been trying to print money, not texts. Money and not newspapers. … Th e newspapers owners were more or less companions of the ruling politicians, the ruling elites. … What should have been a public issue was taken away from the public and what should have been journalism was taken away from journalists, but no one did it alone, they them- selves [journalists] had part in it, unfortunately. In my opinion, journalists and editors are most to blame. Th ere was no defence of professional integrity there. Th ere was over-willing- ness to serve owners and their interests, more willingness even than owners could expect, and more than any market factor could expect.