An analysis of the show "People and Events", which is broadcast on the Radio and Television of Montenegro, points to serious conceptual and editorial shortcomings - instead of a scientific and educational role, the show is marked by political and ideological bias, selective presentation of information, affirmation of revisionist interpretations and marginalization of Montenegrin identity, which calls into question the ability of the public service to objectively inform and educate the public.
The Center for Civic Education (CCE) announced that this is part of the findings of the publication “The show 'People and Events' - analysis of (un)fulfilled standards of the public service broadcaster RTCG", authored by Dr. Adnan Prekić.
The analysis was conducted within the CCE project "Media for Democracy - Strengthening the Independence of RTCG for the Future of Montenegro", with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
"The analysis aimed to assess the educational value of the content and compliance with the standards of the scientific and educational program of this show, including the presence of politicization, sensationalism and mythology. The research included 2.431 posts, focused on historical events, personalities and topics from culture, science and sports. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to identify dominant narratives, emphasized or neglected topics and accompanying interpretations," said Nikola Obradović, CCE program associate.
The results are classified into five thematic units.
Of particular concern, as announced, is the marginalization of Montenegrin historical and cultural identity - out of a total of 2.431 posts in 2024, only 21 percent relate to topics directly related to Montenegro.
"Some of the key events from Montenegrin history have been omitted, such as the proclamation of Montenegro as a Kingdom, the battles of Carevi Laz, Krusi, Vuči Do and Fundina, information about the Christmas Uprising of 1919 and the referendum on the state and legal status of Montenegro in 1992, the role of official Montenegro in the process of the dissolution of the SFRY in the early 90s, but also information about the legacy of the Archdiocese of Duklja and Bar."
"An additional problem in presentation and interpretation is the selection of published content, which is often based on half-information and selective presentation of facts, which creates a distorted picture of historical events. For example, information about the most important Montenegrin rulers is mostly incomplete, focused on trivial and irrelevant details from their biographies, which prevents a broad and contextualized view of their historical role and significance for Montenegrin tradition, culture and history... The selective attitude towards formative events of Montenegrin history, heritage and tradition remains a key shortcoming of the show's content," Prekić assesses.
An approach of identity and cultural concealment of Montenegrin heritage is also noted, which refers to the appropriation of figures from Montenegrin history and their positioning in the context of the Serbian national and cultural space.
"The treatment of Montenegro's anti-fascist heritage is no less controversial. The July 13th Uprising and the formation of ZAVNO Montenegro and Boka, as historical turning points symbolizing resistance to fascism and the foundations of Montenegrin statehood in its modern form, are presented marginally, superficially or omitted, thus contributing to the trend of suppressing anti-fascism as the foundation of Montenegrin modern history," the statement reads.
When it comes to the 1990s, "instead of providing a comprehensive and historically responsible account of the events that shaped the states of the former Yugoslavia, war crimes are relativized through a revisionist approach."
"The content of this show does not adequately explain the most significant events related to the legacy of the 90s, and the central events of that period in Montenegro are also omitted. This is a problematic choice, because dealing with the past is a key mechanism for building and improving a multicultural society, and ignoring these topics prevents understanding of historical traumas and hinders the process of reconciliation. It is incomprehensible that in the information about the legacy of the 90s there is not a single word about the deportation of Bosnian refugees from Herceg Novi, the Morinj camp, the blockade of Pljevlja by paramilitary formations in August 1992, the crime in Bukovica and Kaluđerski laz. The only information from this section is about the kidnapping in Štrpci, but even that is incomplete - there is no information about who stopped the train at the Štrpci station, under whose command the forces that committed the crime were, how the victims ended their lives, and what the result of the trial for the crime in Štrpci was," Prekić explains.
As the statement says, "strong political and ideological influence" on the information disseminated through the aforementioned show is also evident in relations with neighbors:
"The information on the declaration of independence of Kosovo does not use the official name of this state - the Republic of Kosovo, under which it is also recognized by the state of Montenegro, but the term 'province of Kosovo and Metohija', and every fifth piece of information about Croatia refers to the legacy of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). At the same time, out of a total of 2.431 publications, none refers to the problematization of the crimes of the Chetnik movement during World War II."
Information related to Ukraine, it is added, affirms pro-Russian imperialist propaganda.
“The March 18th report talks about the alleged ‘annexation’ of Crimea by Russia, without explaining that this act was committed in violation of all international rules and that it was an aggression against a sovereign state. There is no information about the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022, but the authors of the show openly propagated a pro-Russian campaign that dehumanizes Ukraine and its population. For example, the May 2nd report states that ‘members of Ukrainian radical right-wing organizations’ caused a fire in Odessa in which ‘48 pro-Russian demonstrators were killed and more than 200 were injured’. The political bias in this report relies on Russian propaganda that presents Ukrainians as right-wingers and fascists who attack peaceful demonstrators. The annexation of Crimea is presented as a legitimate act of returning the territory ‘that Khrushchev handed over to Ukraine in 1954’, while the Ukrainian side is labeled as aggressive and extremist, and the Russians are described as victims,” it states. Prekic.
The analysis of the show "People and Events", as announced, contains a number of examples of non-objectivity and the absence of a broader context when dealing with historically and politically sensitive topics, "which distorts the perception of the past". "In addition, content related to Montenegrin history, culture and anti-fascist heritage is neglected, and politicized and revisionist interpretations of events from the 90s in the former Yugoslavia, as well as Russia's aggression against Ukraine, are of particular concern. Therefore, this show does not meet the basic standards of a scientific and educational program, which require accuracy, balance and responsibility towards viewers".
The analysis also offers, as stated, "a series of constructive recommendations" so that the show "People and Events" on RTCG can fulfill its scientific and educational purpose and contribute to the development of critical thinking.
"This includes mechanisms of professional and program control, with mandatory content review to ensure objectivity and quality. Also, RTCG must ensure greater representation of Montenegrin history and culture, professional and contextualized selection of information, and a principled approach to the anti-fascist heritage and events from the 90s in order to serve the public interest, rather than the reproduction of ideologically motivated constructions," the statement reads.
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