Most journalists would like to celebrate today's Journalists' Day with a raise at work.
This was stated in a survey conducted by the Society of Professional Journalists (DPNCG) on the eve of January 23, the Day of Journalists of Montenegro.
"This day, as they said, is experienced by colleagues primarily as a symbolic day. This is not surprising when average earnings are only slightly above the minimum wage, and only a few, in public services, have a sectoral collective agreement and earnings above average. Journalists would prefer, as they stated, that the authorities remember them every day instead of just on a holiday, because they do poorly paid and stressful work of public importance," said DPNCG president Mila Radulović.
Low wages, they say, affect their daily work, while uninvestigated attacks on colleagues are not a deterrent to reporting.
"As reasons why uninvestigated attacks do not discourage them, colleagues said that journalism is a challenge in itself and a duty, that the murder of journalists and a significant part of the attacks happened before they entered this profession, while some claim that they are aware of the risks and try to avoid them, but also that they expect the state to provide them with a safe environment to work."
They say about the poor economic status:
"Cooperation and solidarity are needed, as well as motivation to fight for rights... Employers are most often guided by personal interests, especially in private media, and as for public service, everyone there receives excellent salaries except journalists, who work the most - which is a paradox... Journalists need to gather in one union and develop it into an influential organization that can do something," are some of the answers.
The journalists surveyed are not satisfied with the way media organizations represent their interests, claiming that donor projects are being implemented more than they are being done for them.
The DPNCG will publish more detailed data from the online survey on its website.
"The responses of colleagues will also help profile future activities. For now, it is clear that legal and psychological support are the basis of all engagements, because editorial offices do not provide them. This type of support has so far been used most by female journalists, who, according to official data, are mainly the targets of attacks and threats - especially in the online space," says Radulović.
Therefore, as she said, they expect that the DPNCG initiative to toughen penalties for verbal attacks and threats, or hate speech against female journalists, civil activists and politicians, will also be adopted.
Radulović said that promoting the Code of Ethics, which is currently being amended, is one of the priorities of the Society of Professional Journalists, "which brings together professional journalists whose goal is precisely respect for ethical standards and solidarity with colleagues."
"We call on our colleagues to show solidarity, regardless of the editorial policies of the media, and congratulate them on Journalists' Day. No one will fight for us if we don't do it ourselves and finally put ourselves where we need to be - at the top of our priorities," the statement reads.
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