Tabloidization of the media, the spread of disinformation and hate speech, as well as increasingly poor professional and working conditions, characterize the environment in which media workers in Montenegro welcome Journalists' Day, assessed the executive editor of the Raskrinkavanje.me portal, Jelena Jovanović.
She said that Montenegro, its journalists and institutions should be concerned about the lack of effort to preserve credible media and the additional penetration of shows, propagandists and political conspiracy theorists who, as she stated, are trying to destroy trust in credible media and beyond under the pretext of "different opinions".
"Uncontrolled content from television stations from the region is constantly, and probably more strongly than ever, reaching the Montenegrin audience, being broadcast on portals, further lowering the already low standards of quality programming and journalism," Jovanović said in a statement.
As she pointed out, journalists have been attacked and harassed at church gatherings and protests in the past few months.
"An atmosphere has been created in which journalists must seek "blessings" or they will be attacked," Jovanović added.
She said that state institutions have done almost nothing to protect them, but have instead contributed to an atmosphere in which journalists are legitimate targets.
Referring to claims about Montenegro's rapid entry into the European Union, Jovanović suggested that the authorities compare the working conditions and protection of journalists in Montenegro and Europe.
"The different national journalistic organization and hyperproduction of awards on this basis further indicate that the media, instead of being divided into credible and non-credible, are divided more along national lines, and their awards often end up in the hands of those whose goal is to create instability in society," said Jovanović.
As she emphasized, although the public creates an image that all media are the same, there are media in Montenegro that report responsibly and credibly, and whose work is cared for and protected better by international institutions and organizations than by domestic ones.
Jovanović pointed out that a significant number of journalists in Montenegro still do not have adequate financial and other working conditions.
"The work is done by unprotected people, while politicians and institutions most often ignore them and choose who will answer questions and give a statement or interview, and standards are collapsing with the import of toxic content sold in journalistic forms," Jovanović stated.
She said that in a small market there are too many media outlets, often with unclear sources of funding, which is why many of them are not sustainable, but serve to undermine trust in journalism and blur the distinction between professional and propaganda media.
According to Jovanović, in a time when democratic rules of functioning are being threatened in the world and in Montenegro, credible and professional journalism has never been more important.
"Its function as the guardian of democracy must be defended and defended. This is one of the most important tasks of all progressive parts of our society," she said.
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