Conclusions of th regional Conference Corruption, Media and Censorship in the Western Balkans

Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) held on 29th September 2016 a regional conference entitled Corruption, Media and Censorship in the Western Balkans, as part of a two-day conference that marked the International Right to Know Day.

In dynamic discussion at the conference participation was taken by the representatives of media in Serbia, BiH, Croatia and Macedonia, as well as the media and media law experts.
The conference was the opportunity to discuss the prerequisites for insurance of media freedom in the region related to the attempts of violating the freedom of expression and arising pressure put on the media. A part of the conference was dedicated to the transparency of ownership over the media, and the participants talked about their experiences and obstacles they encounter while reporting on corruption in the region.
Problems that were emphasized during the discussion include:
– Media freedom has not been set up as a priority in the EU inclusion and negotiation process;
– Countries in the region do not provide a political environment which would be stimulating for the media and journalists;
– Laws on the ownership over the media are not adequate and do not allow a complete insight into the ownership, which makes a space for the inappropriate influence on the editorial policy;
– There is no control over the implementation of the law on the media even in the countries in which they exist;
– Defamation lawsuits are used, especially in BiH, as a kind of pressure on the media;
– Number of lawsuits filed by journalists, related to the attacks against the journalists or violation of their rights, is not sufficient to adequately treat institutions and journalists’ associations;
– The judiciary institutions are not effective and independent, which influences the legal security of the media and journalists;
– Classical media editorial boards do not have enough resources for in-depth research and investigative stories.
The following were indicated as the key prerequisites for the improvement of independence and capacity of the media in researching and reporting on corruption:
– Mutual solidarity of journalists in defending their rights and active and open joint resistance to all kinds of pressure;
– The appropriate legal framework that allows the timely access to information, and legal protection of journalists;
– Strong and recognized associations for the protection of the journalists’ rights;
– Strengthening the capacity of the editorial boards, aimed at establishing teams that would collect and analyze the data and information possessed by the institutions;
– Strengthening and developing the educational programs at universities, and promoting educational programs conducted by associations and organizations that provide the education of journalists;
– Strong and developed regional networks of investigative reporters, aimed at enabling the flow of information and following the corruption affairs.
The representatives of the following investigative media took part at the conference: Krik from Serbia, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Center for Investigative Reporting from BiH, RTV from the Federation of BiH, Novi list from Rijeka, Association of Journalists from Croatia and BiH, OSCE, Council of Media Ethics from Macedonia, etc.