Freedom of expression is a pillar of democracy, and today's date - May 3, reminds decision-makers every year of the duty to ensure and support media freedom and freedom of thought and expression, said Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujović, in a congratulatory message on the occasion of World Media Freedom Day.
"This includes conditions for professional and high-quality work of journalists, effective protection, quick reaction of the authorities and fair and thorough investigations into all attacks, threats, and intimidation. There must be vigilance and collective action because media freedom is the joint responsibility of all relevant social actors," she said. is she.
It indicates that 16 attacks on journalists were recorded in the past year, and nine so far this year. It should be noted, he points out, that the number of attacks, especially attacks on the life and property of journalists, tends to decrease in Montenegro.
"I consider it my duty to tirelessly send messages that there must not be an acceptable atmosphere in Montenegro in which, in any way, it is legitimate to intimidate, discredit journalists and their work, i.e. to "silence critics". It is dishonorable to divide journalists into those who we are close in terms of attitudes and values, and to those whose editorial policy we do not agree with, and to stand or not stand in their protection accordingly," said Vujović.
He says that one must never forget Duško Jovanović, "who paid the highest price for performing his journalistic work".
"After 20 years since the tragic death, the murder has not been completely solved, and the family and the entire Montenegrin public deserve to know the truth," said the minister.
She said that journalists are the voice of the public, the guardians of the public interest, and that they have the right to ask and receive answers, to remind, warn and point out, to call public officials and institutions to account, to open and encourage public debate and to, "exactly because of that immeasurable role they have in society", they must be enabled to carry out their professional tasks freely, responsibly, without any pressure.
"Free media means professional media and ethical media workers, freedom of the media means freedom from the pressure of media owners, from the pressure of editors, from the influence of political structures, from the uncertainty of changing the ownership of the media. We are trying to deal with these issues through the new media legislation, whose we expect the adoption during this month (May)," announced Vujović.
He says that in the previous period, the Ministry of Culture and Media worked intensively on amendments and additions to the set of media laws, as well as on the drafting of the first strategic document in that area, and they, among other things, strive to improve the position of quality media in Montenegro and create a favorable environment for freedom of information.
The amendment to the Law on Media regulates the status of journalists more closely, introduces the consultation of journalists in the process of appointing and dismissing the editor-in-chief, increases the Fund for Media Pluralism by more than 100 percent, encourages self-regulation, and all with the aim of improving the situation in the media sector, the minister emphasizes.
As she said, the newspapers that are foreseen by the Media Strategy and media laws are the media's obligation to be members of a collective or form their own self-regulatory body, as well as the establishment of a Network for the fight against hate speech, misinformation and online violence.
"So, the new laws will bring significant improvements, but the laws are never perfect. We will try to keep our positions and articles of the law, which we have 'honed' through broad ecosystem consultations, and we will not succumb to the pressures of individuals, powerful lobbies, or NGOs. sector, always keeping in mind the best interest of the Montenegrin public and its right to know. I believe that we have found the right measure and for that we have only received technical comments from the experts of the Council of Europe," Vujović said.
It is clear, he says, that media workers who work in media with a small number of employees are in a special problem.
"In this part, we encourage the professional associations of journalists to react, show solidarity and point out the problem," he adds.
Vujović points out that the Media Union works on really big projects and that it has great visibility and influence, and that it is an irreplaceable leverage in negotiations.
"Also, what distinguishes the media sky in Montenegro is the large number of NGOs that deal with issues of media and media freedom, which often organize conferences and work on large projects, summarizing and pointing out the importance of topics such as: safety of journalists, media literacy, misinformation, etc. ... Thus, in their own way, they also contribute to media freedom in Montenegro", the minister states, and says: "May all these efforts and hard work be recognized and appreciated by all of us, and may media freedom be a reliable builder and pillar of our society reality."
"UNESCO heritage this day to make the whole world think about the topic of freedom. The previous year in the world, was the most disastrous so far for journalists. Eternal memorial to all journalists around the world who lost their lives doing their job and calling - to convey the truth far and wide A special tribute to the reporters from the war-affected areas, without whose posts and announcements, complete ignorance or even worse - the death of the truth - would reign. The film '20 days in Mariupol' won an Oscar for its authentic story of horrors massacre in the maternity hospital. This shocking documentary was shot by the brave photojournalist, Mastyslav Chernov. Through his objective and courageous reporting, Chernov revealed the truth that shook the world, reminding us of the power of journalism in illuminating the dark realities that are often hidden behind the curtains." in the statement.
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