ARE JOURNALISTS WAR CRIMINALS?

The central question which dominated the Zagreb Workshop "Ethics and Journalism" was: Should journalists be tried as war criminals? The discussions revealed a number of examples of journalistic work which also incited to actual crimes. Probably not a single journalist will be brought before a tribunal for war crimes, but this doesn't mean that their surroundings should pardon them. On the contrary they should at least prevent them from killing by "shooting" from TV screens and newspapers columns.

AIM, ZAGREB, 16.12.1993.

Should journalists be tried as war criminals? This was one of the questions raised at the Zagreb gathering "Ethics and Journalism", which the Croat Journalist Society, the Croat Helsinki Council and international associations of journalists and publishers organized under the auspices of the Council of Europe. Ivan Zvonimir Cicak was clear: when the International Court for War Crimes starts its deliberations many journalists will answer not only for crimes against peace and mankind, but for actual crimes also. Cicak then cited examples of people disappearing, cars and houses being blown up, etc. after publication of a specific newspaper article.

This war has not started three years ago - it started much earlier. First shots were not fired from guns and tenks, but from TV screens, newspaper columns - it was stated in the Zagreb's "Esplanada" Hotel - on which countless examples presented, once again confirming the importance of media in any society, as well as the gravity of their abuse for war, war mongering and propaganda purposes. A particular problem that was raised concerns the relation between journalists and the war, or more precisely, is a journalist allowed to lie in the interest of his people? This is an extremely complex issue. For example a journalist of the Croatian Radio placed the guests from Europe in a dilemma: was he right when at the time of war operations of the Serbian insurgents and the YPA in Sisak he claimed that the Croatian side had 15, when in fact it had only two tenks? He did not get a definite answer, but closest to the truth came those who argued that this business should have been left to official military reports.

Even greater discussion was provoked by the example of Christine von Kol who claimed that publishing of information that the Serbian forces have killed 30 drivers of a humanitarian convoy for Tuzla in this year, would have caused the reduction of assistance, as people would stop providing it knowing how it ends up. The majority thought that no one had the right to withhold an information and that it was not up to journalists to judge what might be possible consequences of any piece of news.

In his outstanding presentation, Miko Tripalo said that for quite some time he was of the opinion that in the name of state, national or the so called higher interests some things should be left out or even half-truths presented, but that now he was convinced that even such higher interests could be helped by the truth and only the truth, since truthful information, no matter how painful sometimes, represents an investment in the future.

An interesting example of disaterous consequences that incorrect information may cause was given by an Orthodox priest Jovan Nikolic. Namely, the Belgrade press published that as a result of explosive which was planted in the Orthodox Church Museum in Zagreb, invaluable treasure was destroyed, which was not true at all. But, didn't this false information trigger phosphorus bullets which put the Mostar Bishopric to fire where 55,000 books of priceless value were lost - asks Nikolic. He cited the example of writings of the magazine "Pravoslavlje" ("Orthodoxy"), the official paper of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which claimed that Serbian episcopes were banished from Croatia, that the work of the Orthodox church was prohibited - which was not true. No one was banished, and those who wanted to see for themselves should come to the center of Zagreb to the Orthodox Church and see that it was full at the time of liturgy.

The greater part of the discussions focused on specific examples of the press abuse, to which competent authorities do not react, even when glaring cases were in question - like violations of the Constitution and the law. Special mention was made of a small paper which boastingly calls itself "Hrvatski vijesnik" ("The Croatian Herald"), and whose editor-in-chief is Tomislav Mercep, Assistant Minister of the Interior and whose constant slogan, motto is: "Political Serbs damn you, wherever you may be". It is easy to imagine what is in the articles. Some of them were cited at the gathering, and these proved to be the true examples of hatred and racism. Dr.Zarko Puhovski warned of the growing racism, adding that unfortunately this was not a specificity of only the former Yugoslav space. However, it is tragic when such ideologies have their base in the official policy, and when a state, as is the case with Croatia, shows strong tenedency towards fascistizaton.

Although the guests from Europe wanted to reduce the discussion to "academic" frameworks, the Croatian journalists, unfortunately without the representatives of those who most frequently violate the Code and all standards of journalistic profession, wanted by numerous examples to show the Europeans that we are not a society in which the alphabet of journalism should be learned from the beginning, that we are not the same as Albania, Romania or Bulgaria, but also to stress the irrelevance of their questions such as: were there any examples of national discrimination or other human rights violations in the media? Namely, such questions sound out of space and time in the parts where ethnic cleansing has been legalized and implemented, where human life is worth one DM, where the so called humane resettlement is being carried out, where houses and weekend cottages are blown up every day. And, unfortunately, journalists also most directly take part in this. Naturally, the situation has become overheated because of the war - as Cicak said - and it is impossible to fully establish the state of law, but the war cannot be used as an alibi for abandoning all ethical standards. Freedom of evil is not freedom - it is a crime. The meaning of life of an individual cannot be the state - it can be only means for exercising civil freedoms. Therefore, let us recall the words of the former President of the International Federation of Journalists, Mia Doornaret: "If a journalist finds himself in a situation where he has to choose sides, he should choose the truth".

Lately, in Croatia there is a true flood of gatherings dealing with the media and journalism, and one of these started on Thursday in Bizovac near Osijek. The misfortune of this scientific international workshop is that it is held under the auspices of Branimir Glavas, the District Prefect of the Osijek-Baranja region. It is the same man who with guns took over the editorial offices of the "Glas Slavonije" paper ("The Voice of Slavonija") in mid 1991, removed from office all editors and brought his own men. In it heading this journal, of insignificant influence and circulation, still carries the notification: war edition. True, there is a war on, but that is not the reason. The reason is much more prosaic: in war the boss has the last say, and the truth is only that which is in the interest of the state and party. But, fortunately there are also good examples, which are encouraging. It is discouraging that the Croat Police has beaten up several journalists who wanted to be present during the eviction from military flats (property of the former YPA), but it is important that after the protest of the Helsinki Council, the Croat Journalistic Society and the International Federation of Journalists the authorities promised to carry out a thorough investigation, and what is more important: the world public has been warned of the problem of evictions, which have now been suspended for the time being. Naturally, great credit for this goes to Tadeusz Mazowiecki, but the contribution of journalists should not be underestimated either.

It is probable that not a single journalist will be brought before a court for war crimes, and it is hard to believe that it will happen to anyone, but this doesn't mean that their surroundings should pardon them. On the contrary, they should at least prevent them from continuing to kill by "shooting" from TV screens and newspapers columns.

GOJKO MARINKOVIC