„A free press can be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom a press will never be anything but bad.“ ~ Albert Camus
In Serbia there are many legal guarantees for freedom of expression and media freedom. They are, above all, guaranteed by the Constitution, and then specified in the Public Information Act and the Public Broadcasting Act. Serbia also ratified the most important international treaties safeguarding freedom of thought and press freedom – the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Under the Constitution, freedom of expression may be restricted solely in exceptional cases which are exempted in accordance with the limitations set by international acts. Prohibition of the dissemination of information via media is also in accordance with international norms. Such a prohibition is possible in order to prevent incitement to a violent overthrow of the system in the country or violation of its territorial integrity, to prevent warmongering or instigation to direct violence and advocacy of racial, ethnic or religious hatred which fosters discrimination, hostility or violence – by way of a court decision only, and if necessary in a democratic society.1
However, the existence of institutional and legal structure is a prerequisite but not itself a sufficient condition for the exercise of freedom of the media in all its glory. What is very peculiar in Serbia is that adopted laws and regulations have become a dead letter, and the reality of everyday life remains unchanged.
According to the survey of news media editors-in-chief, only 22% of media outlets did not experience some form of violation of media freedom in their everyday work. Out of those who did, one third (34%) were denied access to information of public importance; another third of them (30%) received unequal treatment, compared to other media, at the hands of the sources of informati on; one fourth (27%) had their advertising contracts cancelled, and another fourth of them (26%) experienced interference in their editorial policies (in the form of a ban on publication of certain information, designation of “desirable” and “undesirable” content, etc.). As the sources of greatest pressure exerted on their media, the surveyed media editors named the ruling political parties (47%), organs of executive power (32%), opposition parties (26%), and, in the same measure, private companies in their capacity as advertisers (16%) and public enterprises (16%).2
According to Michael Davenport, Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, three phenomena currently affect freedom of expression in Serbia – self-censorship, hacking websites and intimidation of individuals who were detained and arrested for comments on social networks. Controversy about alleged censorship in the media started during the recent floods, when some websites criticising the government’s handling of the crisis were taken down as a result of hacker attacks.3
„Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.“ ~ Abbott Joseph Liebling
Unfortunately, we live in a time of media darkness that devours everything in its path. We put locks on the hands of a clock and started to live in another time out of the hand of reality. The media is undoubtedly a dangerous tool in the hands of individuals, enabling them to create public opinion by their own needs. The reason for this, as in most of the problems that has been plaguing our society is education. Considering the fact that the level of education of the population of the Republic of Serbia is very low, with only a small proportion of highly educated people, who are taught to critically observe, it is not surprising that what is received as information through the media is adopted without any reserves. Since that there is no investment and reforms in education – we have to ask why? Maybe the more important thing is to gain freedom of our mind – then we can start fighting for the freedom of media!
Bibliography
Internet resources
Serbian media scene vs European standards – Report based on Council of Europe’s Indicators for Media in a Democracy, available at: http://mediaobservatory.net/sites/default/files/Serbian-Media-Scene-VS-European-Standards.pdf
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/us-eu-and-osce-urge-media-freedom-in-serbia
Photographs
http://www.osisa.org/media-and-ict/blog/power-sas-bad-example
http://www.dc4mf.org/en/cartoons?page=4
1 Serbian media scene vs European standards – Report based on Council of Europe’s Indicators for Media in a Democracy, page 11
2 Serbian media scene vs European standards – Report based on Council of Europe’s Indicators for Media in a Democracy, page 15
3 http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/us-eu-and-osce-urge-media-freedom-in-serbia
