RETURN OF NEZAVISNI

Media Scene of Voivodina

RETURN OF NEZAVISNI Only after it was closed down, it turned out that even those criticized by it, started to miss Nezavisni, the civic journal from Voivodina.

AIM Belgrade, 25 May, 1997

Nezavisni, the civic journal from Voivodina, is published again. Although financial circumstances, due to which it was forced to disappear from the market in the beginning of March, have not changed, the new issue was printed. It was prepared, partly from pure spite, by the old team. It appeared, at the old price, on 52 pages and with its cover in colour. Lack of money due to which Nezavisni had disappeared from newsstands will determine how often it will be published: it is hard to assess at this moment whether it can continue to be a weekly. Most probably, it will not.

Dimitrije Boarov, President of the Independent Society of Journalists of Voivodina (NDNV), explains for AIM that it was necessary to hurry up with return of Nezavisni to the public scene and the political ground, although the process of reorganization, financial rehabilitation, and establishment of the new position of the journal has not been completed yet. He explains this by assuarances ("from many different sides") that the gap left in Novi Sad after temporary closing down of Nezavisni coincided primarily with the political change: other parties came to power, instead of the everlasting Socialists. These new parties are in a kind of a crisis, and in Voivodina, things are obviously changing very quickly and a new balance has not been established yet. In such a situation, Boarov mentions, Belgrade journals cannot cover the current developments with sufficient refinement, knowledge and space. He defines this situation as some kind of "hunger for information" and a need for a media which would evaluate the developments from an unbiased stand.

Something like that is said also in the editorial of the new issue of Nezavisni: that "even those whose moves were often targets of our criticism" enquired about the future of the journal and the day when it would appear again, and that "many people felt what our journal meant to them only when they were left without its writing and sobering analyses".

When Nezavisni was closed down, it seemed that nobody in Novi Sad and Voivodina had either money, will or interest to help it. The telephone at the editorial office was disconnected because of the unpaid bills, but the Independent Society of Journalists of Voivodina assessed that the space for placement of this journal in the media market of Voivodina exists despite great competition and numerous Belgrade media which seek their readers among the traditionally good readers such as the citizens of Voivodina. The telephone of Nezavisni is, therefore, ringing again.

On the Voivodina media scene nothing has happened in the meantime: the ambitious project of the new city authorities in Novi Sad - foundation of an information centre which would consist of a television, a radio station and a daily - was overshadowed by disputes among and within political parties about the composition of city authorities and since recently the personage of the mayor. The new Novi Sad daily seems quite uncertain, television as well, and the only thing that has at least slight chances to perhaps start broadcasting is the local radio station, the biggest merit, according to many, for it going to Marina Fratucan, journalist who was expected to take over the lead of this radio station and who is persistent in training young journalists for the job.

The Assembly of Voivodina which is more often than before - if that is possible - proclaimed to be incompetent for any issue concerning Voivodina, has recently paid compliments in its committee for information to state media it finances (Dnevnik, Magyar Szo, Hlas ljudi, Ruske slovo...) without even mentioning that the terms of office of their editors-in-chief have expired long time ago, which means that the socialist majority in provincial authorities will not change their rigid stance to the sphere of information in Voivodina.

When Nezavisni disappeared, it turned out, as Boarov assesses, that on the social scene of Voivodina, but especially in Novi Sad, there is not a single weekly which can replace such an open and unbiased media with a fighting spirit

• which for that very reason was not to the liking of many.

"It turned out, however, that the emptiness which spread after its temporary withdrawal was much worse even than its critical voice. This emptiness is exactly the phenomenon which tortures the political life in Voivodina much more and hurts much more than numerous injustices and humiliations. That is why we decided to come back, although we have not resolved all the problems concerning normal operation of the journal in changed circumstances", Boarov writes in the editorial of Nezavisni with its customary heading :"What is the Time". What the future of Nezavisni will be like, it is hard to tell.

"The Independent Society of Journalists of Voivodina, is also unfortunately in a specific situation", explains Boarov for AIM. "After working in almost partisan conditions, it should now begin operation in an organized manner on a longterm basis. That is why, although we are coming out with the new issue of the journal, we still cannot say: this is the new formula of Nezavisni".

Saying that it worked in partisan conditions is just a picturesque description of the fact that the journal was founded five years ago mostly by journalists who were on forced leave or sacked from work; that the journal was prepared by a team of professionals who could not make their living in it; that its publication started without any operating capital; that the team has never been backed by any political party, and that the journal has never supported any political or economic lobby; that the assistance of domestic and foreign foundations was far below real expenses of publication. In the meantime, majority of journalists was forced to seek and found permanent employment mostly in corresponding offices of Belgrade media. One must live on something.

"The problem is that Nazavisni was created at the time when a destructive, triumphant, aggressive, expansionist, nationalistic, neopopulistic, chauvinist, demagogic, anti-Yugoslav (anti-Voivodina) politics was in full swing - so the journal was published almost like a paper of outlaws, partisans. Just in order to preserve a trace of civic common sense, to show the discouraged people that there still are those who have the courage to publicly say what majority of normal, ordinary people think. A journal founded like that and prepared by almost completely voluntary engagement of members of the Independent Society of Journalists of Voivodina, in almost permanent emergency conditions, simply could not have a regular organization, regular services, rhythm of work and regular sources of income and financing".

With this explanation in the editorial of Nezavisni, Dimitrije Boarov announces the future of the journal and justifies the haste: "Nowadays when many are saying what Nezavisni used to say five years ago (forgetting sometimes that until recently they were afraid even to read that in our paper), the journal must start working in somewhat more normal conditions of work and business operation. The Independent Society of Journalists of Voivodina is already preparing ownership restructuring of the journal, its new appearance and new members of the team, somewhat more modern conception of editing and organization, etc. This process of normal adapting to changed circumstances has not ended, but we had to hurry with the comeback to the public life of Voivodina and Novi Sad

• for the very reason that the devil is always up to his tricks and because many people who are following the current political and social developments keep asking us - how come you, who have always raised your voices, are silent now? Well, we shall not be silent".

Milena Putnik (AIM)