The draft Law on Media, full of shortcomings and numerous shortcomings, was assessed at today's panel discussion at the EU Info Center in Podgorica, organized by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Media Institute of Montenegro and the Media Center.
The aforementioned document is at the Public Debate, and the experts of the Council of Europe (CoE) also pointed out its vagueness and lack of elaboration, and the panel specifically addressed the protection of sources and pluralism in the media.
The editor-in-chief of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN CG), Slavoljub Šćekić, explained that with the proposed solutions, journalists in Montenegro may be detained, as well as MP Nebojša Medojević.
He said that it is planned to establish a government fund for the media, but he believes that this is an attempt to satisfy the international factor.
"The government should deal with its own business, i.e. regulation," pointed out Šćekić, adding that money should only be used to support media outlets that actually work.
Mila Radulović, secretary general of the association of professional journalists and member of the working group for drafting the law on media, pointed out that according to the working version, journalists will be forced in court to reveal their sources.
"That procedure is not clearly explained and almost everyday information can be problematic," said Radulović.
Harmonization of legislation with the standards of the Council of Europe and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, Radulović pointed out, was clumsily done, and journalists will answer in court for published texts as well as editors, which was not the practice until now.
"The government hastened the work on the Draft Law because in its plan it aimed to adopt it during the last year".
Šćekić explained the claim that it is an attempt to satisfy the international community, through three key aspects.
"The amount determined for the fund, the system of distribution of funds and arbitration in decision-making. It is planned to establish two sub-funds - a sub-fund for print and online media and a sub-fund for electronic media. 60 percent of the fund's budget is allocated for electronic media, while printed and online media will go 40 percent of that sum. The basis on which this ratio was made has not been clarified," pointed out Šćekić.
According to him, the most problematic thing is that the distribution of that money in both cases, once directly and the other time indirectly, would be done by the Electronic Media Agency.
As it was explained, if the Draft Law on Media is adopted, even if it is bad, that is, no changes are made, representatives of journalists will address the members of the Parliament of Montenegro, who should vote on that act, as well as the Council of Europe. The President of the Assembly of the Media Center Dragoljub Duško Vuković said that a dialogue is needed within the media community, and that the document does not serve the honor of either the Government or the Prime Minister.
The President of the Media Union, Marijana Camović, pointed out that they managed to include a proposal on the protection of authors. This means, explained Camović, that journalists can initiate a court case, if they are dissatisfied if their text has been changed, without consulting them.
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