Draft of the first Media Strategy under discussion

The draft of the first Media Strategy in Montenegro, as well as in the region, was published this afternoon and that document is officially up for public discussion. This strategy, together with the Action Plan, should provide answers to many questions, among others, about the socio-economic position of journalists and their safety, the media market and media sustainability, regulation and self-regulation, public service and local public services, hate speech and misinformation. , media pluralism and literacy...

Acting Director of the Directorate for Media in the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media Nedjeljko Rudovic said at the International Conference on Media Sustainability that the goal of the strategy itself is not to make it difficult for the media industry, but to help it, and at the same time to realize the public interest that citizens have true and comprehensive information.

"We are well on our way to finding answers to the difficult questions we face. These are hate speech, spreading misinformation and online harassment. We also have problems with ad hoc wild portals that operate from the gray zone and do not register, and that, especially in periods of crisis, try to influence events in Montenegro through quasi-journalism. and we have answers for that situation," said Rudović.

He also said that an increase in funds for the media in the Media Pluralism Fund is planned. He explained that last year the fund amounted to around 860.000 euros and that the proposal is to increase it several times. He said that according to the proposal from the Media Strategy, it is more than four times.

"From the point of view of the commercial media, this proposal was very argumentative, because the public service is directly financed from the budget. The fact is that the public service does not and should not worry about finances, its stability must not be called into question, but on the other hand it must bear responsibility in case it does not fulfill its role", said Rudović.

President of the Association of Professional Journalists (DPN) Mila Radulović, who was a member of the working group for the development of the strategy, said that three things in the home document are very important for the media community.

"These are the strengthening of the editorial role in the media, through the adoption of editorial statutes, self-regulation, as well as the economic and social status of journalists. "The adoption of a collective agreement for media activities, and the media strategy also included a proposal to provide journalists with a benefited working experience," said Radulović.

Director of the Media Association for Southeast Europe Vuk Marash he said that through the proposal of measures, they tried to act on the problems in media operations. He explained that the proposal is to reduce VAT for the press, increase funds in the Media Pluralism Fund...