"Mostar without 'Marlboro'": Journalist's rule of evidence

Sarajevo Jul 6, 1997

**RS "Smuggling affair" in Federation medias

Sarajevo, 05 July, 1997 (AIM) - Yesterday, TVB&H offered to it's consumers a panel discussion in which, Mr. Mirza Hajric, Adviser President B&H, Mr. Rasim Kadic, Minister for Refugees B&H and 'Oslobodenje' journalist Mr. Vlastimir Mijovic, tried to explain what is happening in RS. Mostly, that would be another SDS point of view, except for Mr. Mijovic journalist's performance: Everything started with his explanation that recent connections of B&H Federation with 'Smuggling Affair" in RS is, actually, "... the try to transfer the creases of RS to B&H Federation". That was the reason why he personally, deliberately did not published informations which connected Mr. Safet Orucevic, Mayor of Mostar, with mentioned affair. He decided that Mr. Orucevic is innocent, because "everybody knows that in Mostar there is no 'Marlboro' cigarettes".

Such example of autocensorship in independent medias, made us to ask Mr. Mehmed Halilovic, Editor in Chief 'Oslobodenje' and President Independent Union of Professional Journalists B&H, for his opinion.

"I have not seen that emission, but I believe that Mr. Mijovic thought about additional checking of information, because you have to secure the text in every aspect. Can you imagine what could happened, if some journalist publish first information without checking and double checking? We, in 'Oslobodenje' have a huge material from RS, and everything has to be checked".

We reminded Mr. Halilovic that 'Oslobodenje' was the first journal to publish (without checking) Mrs. Plavsic's speech, and because of that fact and because of 'Oslobodenje' reputation, we wanted to know, why the material accusing Mr. Orucevic, has been cut off. Also, can the journalist take over court ingerence about guiltiness?

"I don't know what exactly Mr. Mijovic said, but certainly, there is no taking over of ingerence. I still suppose that we have a principle of additional journalist evidence checking", stated Mr. Halilovic.(End)