Civil society organizations and independent media are the most responsible for the civil emancipation of Montenegro in the past 30 years, said Neđeljko Rudović, Acting Director of the Directorate for Media in the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media today.
"I don't think it's political parties, not even the academic community, but primarily the media and civil society organizations," he said at the conference "The Significance of Media Freedom for Chapter 27 and the European Integration Process." organized by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), BIRN and Monitor.
Rudović pointed out that the contribution of the media and civil society can now also be seen through the drafting of media laws and strategic documents.
Unlike other countries of the former region, Rudović said that Montenegro had an extremely strong media and NGO sector.
"That was not the case in other countries of the former Yugoslavia," said Rudović.
He cited as an example that the activities of civil society and the media saved Tara from sinking.
"That campaign for Tara lasted 3-4 months and in the end it was successful. It gave everyone wings and showed that it can be done," he said.
Bojanić: Joint pressure on decision-makers can really lead to important results
The executive director of Nezavisni dnevnik (ND) and Television Vijesti, Marijana Bojanić, said that many environmental problems have been prevented through joint activities with representatives of the civil sector.
According to her, the cooperation and action of professional media and NGOs is perhaps crucially important for the process of European integration.
"Joint pressure on decision-makers can really lead to important results," Bojanić said.
She pointed out that every day with our research work "we push institutions to do work that they don't want to do".
"Weak institutions require strong media," she said, adding that these institutions are doing everything to weaken the work of professional media.
She concluded that without professional media we cannot count on having professional reporting.
Kočan: What we experienced in 30 years, some experienced in 200 years
Esad Kočan, editor-in-chief of the weekly Monitor, assessed at the conference that the cooperation between independent media and professional NGOs is extraordinary.
"We could not function without each other," he said.
He said that environmental issues are existential issues.
Speaking about the situation in Montenegro, Kočan pointed out that "what we experienced in 30 years, some experienced in 200 years".
He said that for a decade there has been tremendous pressure on groups that he treats as enemies - NGOs and independent media, at the same time "suffocation by the huge production of paramedia and paranoid organizations".
Iković: A journalist can be the bearer of a strong ecological idea
Ecologist Vuk Iković said at the conference that the media are allies of environmental protection and that there is increasing awareness and media literacy on the topic of ecology.
"A journalist can be the bearer of a strong ecological idea," he said.
He said that in recent weeks, the media has highlighted several environmental problems, which are now in the process of being resolved.
Iković criticized the performance of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić and Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, stating that at yesterday's conference they mentioned problems, but not solutions in the same area.
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