SCHEMING AND PUNITIVE EXPEDITIONS

Situation in the media of Former Yugoslavia

By Gordana Igric

in cooperation with Kim Mehmeti - AIM Skopje, Marko Vukovic - AIM Podgorica, Besim Abazi - AIM Pristina, Senad Pecanin AIM Sarajevo, Igor Vukic, Jelena Lovric, Gojko Marinkovic, Stojan Obradovic - AIM Zagreb, Janja Klasinc, Zoran Odic, Aida Kurtovic - AIM Ljubljana

AIM Belgrade, April 24, 1996

"Every hour two policemen, censorship is bound to be next". This would be a paraphrase of a song of rock star Rambo Amadeus, which would quite well describe the current quivering of the media in former Yugoslavia. With the exception of Triglav, where somewhat warmer winds are blowing, state censors throughout former Yugoslavia seem to be knitting their eyebrows.

"I believe that the situation here is even worse than in Belgrade. In Belgrade you at least have some independent media". This is how the known donor, George Soros who visited Croatia, evaluated the situation in the sphere of the media. Belgrade authorities, however, hurried to deny him - they deleted his foundation from the court register. "The most democratic of all post-communist countries", as President Tudjman often likes to call Croatia, proved to be even more dismal than the one in Serbia. The International Press Centre in Vienna, in its last year's report, presents an analysis of freedom of the media in more than a hundred countries of the world, and it claims that concerning monopoly and manipulations by means of the state-controlled television, Tudjman is even worse than Milosevic.

This was true only before Radio-Television Serbia, in preparations of the elections, completely deleted Serb opposition from its programs, so that nowadays only three parties exist on it: Milosevic's Socialists, Communist of his wife Mirjana Markovic, and their attendants - New Democracy. This shift must have happened before mass exodus of the Serbs from Sarajevo, since RTS did not utter a word about it. Its spectators know nothing of the charges raised by the Hague Tribunal against Sljivancanin and other "liberators" of Vukovar either.

"We Wre Much Worse Than That, We Are Normal"

"Dictatorial regimes, as well-known, have a phobia - the press and the media - and they always try to control them. If they cannot control them, they shut them down", emphasizes a well-known Kosovo journalists and writer, Milazim Krasniqi. He, of course, speaks in view of all the misfortunes which befell the media in Kosovo by doings of the Serb authorities.

How can the Serbs save themselves of the Serb dictatorship or the Croats from their own? Nothing to say about the Bosnian "dictarors' triad (triplicity, trichotomy trinity". In Croatia, for instance, legal innovations are following one after the other, which under the pretext of protection of the reputation of the highest state leaders and safeguarding state secrets, are in fact announcing introduction of - censorship. Charges were already raised against the Editor of Nacional for spreading false news.

Exactly at the time Belgrade regime took over control of Studio B, the last independent television station (after years of cleansing television of journalist "non-patriots", chasing Borba out into the street, stifling of independent local media), in Croatia, popular Radio Labin was deprived of its channel, for the sake of "introducing order in distribution of channels". Even some of the state-controlled channels in Rijeka and Pula will soon be given to prominent members of the ruling Croat Democratic Community (HDZ), just as citizens of Belgrade, thanks to private entrepreneurs who are members of the Yugoslav Associated Left (JUL) or of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), are able to watch TV "Palma" or TV "Pink", or listen to Radio "Kosava" managed by Slobodan Milosevic's daughter. It is in vain that Kresimir Farkas, the Editor-in-Chief of Radio Labin, says: "There is no doubt that we were in their way. It was difficult for them to accuse us of being enemies. We are much worse than that. We are normal."

After that, a coup was staged in Croatia against the Rijeka Novi list. The interpretation was formally legal (a method 'deja vu' in Serbia), and the real cause was an appeal of one of its journalists to "all the forces in Croatia who use their heads" to overthrow Tudjman. At the same time, Belgrade Politika, quite innocently, carries a list of "editorial staffs - mercenaries" (from a Greek pro-Socialist journal Pontiki) paid by Hans van den Broek, who is in charge of media in the EU, to "undermine (primarily) Serbia". One cannot but wonder are they scheming together?

Now that Nenad Ivankovic (the favourite Tudjman's commentator) has become the Editor-in-Chief of the Croat Vjesnik and is carrying out a purge in it of the few journalists left after all the previous purges (some thirty odd dismissals are mentioned), the remaining independent media in Serbia might as well wonder: who will be next?

In Macedonia, the monopoly to the truth is in the hands of the daily Nova Makedonija and Macedonian Radio Television. What it is like is best illustrated by the latest developments in the daily Nova Makedonija, when the director threatened with dismissal of all disobedient editors. This occurred after reconstruction of the Macedonian Government, and implies that "reconstruction" of disobedient journalists was also required. Recent appearance of an independent, or perhaps "independent" daily called Dnevnik caused confusion. Certain people think that this journal is expected to play the role of an opposition newspaper - the editorial staff was made up by the current minister of foreign affairs at the time he was the head of the police, Ljubomir Frckovski.

Although the electronic media made a boom in Macedonia, in the first years of pluralism (more than 100 privately-owned radio and 50 TV stations) they could not "harm" the state-owned dinosaur - the Macedonian Radio-Television.

And Now a Little about Bosnian "Entities"

The two Bosnian entities - Federation B&H and Republic of Srpska (RS) - have three rulers. Therefore, the Sarajevans are forced to listen Izetbegovic's anathemas of the New Year's Eve and Santa Claus, because, "that is not in the tradition of Islam", as well as everything else the ruling party - the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) - decides to publicize. The unfortunate people in the RS who are unwilling to do so are still forced to listen in the media controlled by the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) about fantastic plans of the dazed leader Radovan Karadzic for construction of new Serb Sarajevo or a tunnel from Pale to... Nowadays, the voice of Serb state television also reaches them and so do Milosevic's messages, and it seems that their confusion is immeasurable. What can the poor, independent Banjaluka journal Novi prelom, which the Sarajevans rejoice in as a germ of civic option in the RS, accomplish in such an environment?

And "Herzeg-Bosnia" - it is the entity within the Federation, but governed by media from the neighbouring Croatia, along with just a few local radio-television stations controlled by the notorious Smiljko Sagolj and the HDZ. Just a few days ago, an anti-Muslim campaign exploded in Croat media over there. And the leaders of tough, although abolished "Herzeg-Bosnia still talk about the Muslim threat, the green transversal, alleged secret plans of the Muslims to start a war to extermination against Croatia.

That is why, the opposition parties warn, the forthcoming elections have no chance of being free if the ruling SDA continues to hold a monopoly on editorial policy of RTV B&H, the greatest institution dealing with information in that part of Bosnia. Monotony in the media will, all things considered, turn into an election farce. The key issue is - time. Namely, will there be enough of it for creation of a network of independent television which would bring certain balance and cover the entire territory of B&H? The last weak ray of hope that this could happen has disappeared. Primarily, the Sarajevans think, due to secretiveness of Karl Bildt, envoy for implementation of the civilian part of the Dayton agreement - this is the reason why many sensed that this would be a television installed by the model of former YUTEL, and the journalists were afraid that favourites of the international community would be imposed on them as personnel.

Elections, elections...

Comparison of operation of the media before the elections in Bosnia, and operation of media during the last election campaign in Croatia, or at the time of elections in Serbia (in 1992 and 1993), clearly reveals that they are like "brothers".

In Croatia, an investigation on media and their effects on the elections was carried out recently for the first time, and it showed that half of the contributions (on TV and in the press) were devoted to the ruling HDZ (50.3 per cent to be precise). Out of that number, as many as 58.3 per cent were those which were not directly connected with the elections (activities of the HDZ and various "statesman's promotions" of the President). Propaganda was concealed under the veil of his statesman's duties, and it exceeded all agreed limits and broke all the rules. Experts believe that this proves that there is actually only one party in Croatia.

If we remember 1992 elections in Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic also always appeared in the role of a state official in "regular visits", especially to the south of Serbia. On the last day of the campaign, the report about his visit to Kosovo on state television lasted precisely 33 minutes. During those same elections, he discovered oil fields in Vojvodina, and RTS never devoted less than 12 minutes to him. His rival, Milan Panic, was presented in a negative context on RTS for the total of two hours and three minutes, and in a favourable light for 15 minutes (source: "Elections on the Screen", Jovanka Matic, Snjezana Milivojevic).

During the last elections, Croat Television devoted five and a half hours of program to them. Out of the analyzed time, 62 per cent belonged to the HDZ. And in the 1993 elections in Serbia, RTS devoted 227 minutes of the analyzed time to the Socialist of Slobodan Milosevic (12 minutes to DEPOS, five to Democratic Party, and four minutes to the Democratic Party of Serbia). All major opposition parties put together were presented in contributions which lasted shorter than the the time given to the newly formed Associated Left (JUL) of the President's wife, Mirjana Markovic, which got 34 minutes.

Nowadays, the regime's hue and cry against Vuk Draskovic, the treacherous opposition and its rallies, and "introduction of order" in the media are all a function of the forthcoming elections. In view of the fact that the elections are also getting nearer in Montenegro (they are scheduled to take place in the second half of November), and the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) according to its own investigation ranks extremely low, the past few weeks are marked with a campaign directed against opposition parties, primarily against the National Party.

Photomontage and enemy of the nation

State-controlled media in ex-Yugoslav spece, with the exception of Slovenia, are treated like services, like army and police. The authorities have a monopoly of the channels, and in printed media of newsreel and distribution networks. Successful editorial methods should be added to this: "production of internal and external enemies" and punitive expeditions against them. For all the failures and mistakes of the regime, "external" and "internal" enemies are blamed, and all the achievements (from the Dayton peace to "rise of production in comparison with the same period last year") are attributed to the rulers.

Even Slovenia, having passed the road from national dependent media to a pluralist situation, has experienced something like that. In the period before it had won independence, all Slovene media put themselves in the service of the "sublime national cause". Journalists who did not immediately take sides with the newly-established parties, lost their high positions. Nowadays, things have changed, a financial mortal combat is going on between the big and the small ones, in which mostly the big ones are doing well - Delo, Dnevnik and Vecer - who had become rich by privatization of the social ownership. There is no such thing as concealing or alteration of information any more, despite various commentaries which accompany an information.

According to the assessment of the Main Board of the HDZ in Croatia, there still persist "anti-Croat and anti-state" journals: Novi list, Feral Tribune, Nacional, Arkzin and Globus. The journalist of Novi list who was threatened with a gun by a deputy in the Croat Assembly is also an enemy. The Committee for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Kosovo claims that a large number of editors and journalists passed through the hands of the police. As opposed to the "deadly times" in 1991 and 1992, when Montenegrin authorities were inclined to attacks by bombs even (weekly Monitor), nowadays they resort to more subtle measures of exerting pressure: court proceedings or financial exhausting of the independent. It is a fact that the 16 times smaller Montenegro, greatly outshone Serbia by the number of verdicts passed against journalists and media.

It seems, however, that satirical photomontage can infuriate the authorities the most. Tomislav Mercep, deputy of the Croat Assembly and President of the Association of War Volunteers, sued journals a few times (Feral Tribune and Globus) - demanding compensation worth several hundred thousand German marks. He complained because of a photomontage which inflicted "spiritual pain to a person and his family". Because of a photomontage which Borske novine in Serbia carried from Montenegrin Onogost standard, its editor was convicted to six months in prison. For the same reason Pristina weekly Koha was visited by uniformed persons and it was shut down, because the journal "insulted President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic".

There is some light in this pitch darkness. It happened in Macedonia. Director of Macedonian RTV, Saso Ordanovski, did not manage to conceal his political biasness. In an inter-party quarrel he sided with the Social Democrats and attacked the Liberals. He was dethroned for the role he played of a "daily guard" who was on watch over party interests.

Had he lived by any chance in Serbia, he would have probably been awarded by the regime-controlled association of journalists, and in Croatia a medal of a hero of the patriotic war. In Bosnia, the orthodox cross, the chess board and the green berets would have fought for him.

Entrefilet: Croatia

"ALL-CROAT RECONCILIATION"

Operation of disciplining the media was announced a few days ago by President Tudjman himself in an interview in which he explained the policy of "all-Croat reconciliation". He claims that in judiciary and media "there have remained a lot of the old cadres", so "policy of reconciliation returns as a boomerang in them". In "resistance to implementation of this Croat policy, journalists who were coryphaei of all that was communist, socialist, Yugoslav and even Yugo-unitarian, are now allegedly, in the name of democracy, marching against Croat freedom, Croat democracy and enjoying support of foreign circles which are against independence of Croatia."

Entrefilet - B&H

THE INDEPENDENT AWARE OF DONORS

Problems of independent media in Sarajevo are not only in the pressures exerted by the authorities, as one would expect. They are also in the awareness of the owners of the media and the journalists of their donors. At this moment, in whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina there is not a single medium which would be capable to provide for continuation of its independent operation. That is why it is easier to find an editor-in-chief in Sarajevo who would be able to recite by heart names of all the heads of international fondations which offer support to independent media than those who would be able to name at least half of the ministers of the republican or the Federal Government.

Entrefilet - Slovenia

JANSA STILL INFLUENTIAL ON TV

National TV Slovenia still suffers from personnel changes which occurred when the rightist coalition Demos was in power. Due to sharp criticism, state agencies receive little attention, which would be self-understood considering that television is state-controlled, but influence of the policy of Janez Jansa can still be felt.

There are Bosnian media in Slovenia which inform only the public in B&H, refugees, students and those from B&H who have lived here before the war. According to certain data, the number of their consumers reaches about a hundred thousand. The ones with the highest circulation are Sarajevo Oslobodjenje, magazine Svijet and Ljiljan which is ethically and religiously oriented (Muslim) and is not popular among Bosnian intellectuals.

Entrefile - Montenegro

BETWEEN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AND LIFE IMPRISONMENT

Difference between RT Serbia and RT Montenegro was picturesquely described by the spokesman of the National Party, Zelidrag Nikcevic, who described that the difference between them is equal to the difference between capital punishment and life imprisonment. Montenegrin TV is just experiencing reincarnation of the "Dubrovnik epic" which coincides with the appointment of Vladimir Asanin the new editor in chief, the head of the office of the Chairman of the Montenegrin Assembly, Svetozar Marovic, who is said to be the editor-in-chief of all state-controlled media.

Entrefilet - Kosovo

TV PRISTINA - IN THE BOSOM OF RTV SERBIA

Circulation of the only daily in Kosovo (Bujku) in Albanian language is somewhere around ten thousand copies. Other journals (weeklies, biweeklies or monthlies) even when they are published have a symbolic circulation. There are two daily newspapers in Kosovo - one in Serbian, Jedinstvo, and the other in Turkish, TAN. Both journals work under the auspices of Panorama which has never been accepted by journalists Albanians. The circulation of these journals is about two and a half thousand copies. Both journals are considered to be pro-regime. TV Pristina broadcasts programs in Serbian, Turkish and Rome language. The program in Albanian consists of news only, by the model of TV Belgrade. There is no new filmed material, only documentary or musical programs are broadcast, and old films with subtitles in Albanian.

Entrefilet - Macedonia

FOR THE NATION AND THE PARTY

In Macedonia, there are two "truths" - of the two most numerous ethnic groups - the Macedonians and the Albanians. There are always two versions of the same event - a Macedonian and an Albanian. Media in Macedonian language are controlled by the ruling Social Democratic Party, and those in Albanian are left in the hands of the coalition partner in the Government - the Party of Democratic Peosperity. This shows that those who have power do not find it difficult to reach an agreement concerning division of control of the media.