APPENDIX 13
Memorandum submitted by Vojislav Raonic
The media landscape in Montenegro has undergone
significant changes in recent years. An increased number of private/independent
media has been established, both in print and electronic media
domain. At the moment, apart from the state owned or public media,
Montenegro, with a population that does not exceed the figure
of 650,000, has 22 private radio stations, six private TV stations
and dozens of papers, most of them being weekly magazines, and
three daily papers. In addition to that, the Republic of Montenegro
has been completely opened for foreign media contents. Montenegrin
public and private media regularly broadcast programs of Radio
Free Europe, The Voice of America and BBC World Service. Papers
from Serbia and the region freely circulate throughout Montenegro
and Federal television station YU-INFO transmits its program using
technical facilities of Yugoslav Army. Media of Montenegro predominately
broadcast or print their own productions and are beginning to
establish their own profile in the media landscape. This private/independent
media shows a great variety of orientations, style, content and
professional level as well. Media situation has been additionally
improved in the last three to four years during which Montenegro
political mainstream has become pro European and western style
democracy orientated.
Having said all that, it would be quite inappropriate
to glorify the media situation in Montenegro. More and more there
is a growing consensus that many think the domain of media should
be changed for better.
Generally, the weak points are relatively low
level of professionalism among journalists and other media professionals,
low level of media technology being implemented, poor media management
without revenue oriented policy, lack of clear strategy of advertising
management, lack of investigative journalism and bad economic
situation of the media.
Poor economic conditions seriously affect media
sphere in Montenegro. Its economy was first ruined by civil war
in former Yugoslavia and after that has been exposed to double
ring of economic sanctions for years. This situation has had especially
grave consequences to old fashioned and overstaffed media, which
are having difficulties in the process of restructuring. In addition
to that, lack of profit and revenue oriented management policy
causes low wages and consequently poor professional standards.
Montenegrin media community also has problems with journalist
generation shift. As experienced journalists have been leaving
the media scene, many young journalists are entering the arena
without previously received professional training.
There are many international initiatives and
media related projects unfolding in Montenegro at this time. Civil
sector of the society, NGOs and professional associations are
included in most of this activities in order to assist and harmonize
interests of media community. Due to foreign donor's projects
many media manage not only to survive, but to improve their program
content as well.
Social climate for the development of a professional,
independent, impartial and objective press is generally positive.
There is no censorship or suppression of the press or radio and
TV programs and there are no obstacles to free access to sources
of information. Media can be considered open. Universally accepted
standards of diversity reporting are adhered, which mirrors Montenegrin
culture of tolerance and multiethnic coexistence. This environment
is being used by variety of media of different orientation. Representatives
of almost all-political parties and various interest groups are
being quoted on a daily basis by both print and electronic media.
State media presents parliament parties statements according to
rules adopted in the parliament by consensus. Rules of news coverage
and reporting political activities in pre-election period have
been negotiated and accepted by all parliament parties. In addition
to that, parliamentary parties have agreed to set up The parliamentary
Canal, devoted exclusively to party statements and promotions
for forthcoming elections. Talk shows and duel programs with representatives
of all political options are common and very frequent on both
public and private media. Because of the variety of media of different
orientation one could say that political attitudes of all relevant
politicians are well known to the audience of Montenegro. The
impression is that sometimes TV stations even exaggerate in having
this duel program in order to compensate lack of pre-recorded
production contents. So, the audience can be considered well informed
about standpoints and argumentation of politicians. Aside from
having various Montenegrin politicians in their programs, guest
politicians for Serbia are interviewed on a regular bases on both
public and private media. An interesting project of co-operation
between Belgrade Media Center and Montenegrin independent TV Montena
is going on these days. In that weekly show politicians, historians,
university professors, theatre directors and journalists from
Montenegro and Serbia discuss the future relations between Serbia
and Montenegro in a tolerant atmosphere.
After all one could conclude that, even the
media situation is not ideal compared to countries of developed
democracy, there is sufficient media structure and fair practice
developed to facilitate election process. All political options
are being widely discussed and represented on Montenegrin media
and the audience can be considered as well informed about different
options, political standpoints and argumentation.
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