Popular among media professionals as a unique resource center on media in the region, the website of Mediacentar Sarajevo, a SEENPM member, is in the focus of yet another project.
Mediacentar_Online (www.media.ba) features a series of articles on various aspects of media freedom in South East Europe, published in cooperation with Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso and within the scope of a larger project led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) where Mediacentar_Online is one of the European media partners.
The main objectives of the cooperation are the protection of freedom of expression and the promotion of a transnational public debate on media freedom violations recorded in the EU as well as in the enlargement and Eastern Partnership countries.
The articles on Mediacentar_Online produced within this cooperation project have been published since May 2015, with the last articles expected at the end of April 2016. The production of the articles is funded by the European Commission.
Some of the topics that Mediacenter tackled so far within the project are citizens’ right to information, censorship, pressure on journalists in region, hate speech in media and digital communication.
Here is the list of links to the published articles -note that the full articles are mainly available only in B/C/S:
With tabloid against common sense 28/3/2016
It is difficult to talk about media freedom when many journalists do not dare to ask questions in a press conference. Those among them who are brave enough to explore and publish information about the most powerful people in Serbia often end up on the tabloid front pages and are considered enemies of the state.
Raid against Croatian media: Who is next? 18/3/2016
Newly enthroned ultraconservative government of Croatia sees free public as a rebellious gang that should be pacified by eliminating it’s “general headquarters” – the media. This is evidenced by the fact that Mirjana Rakic, president of the Council for Electronic Media, offered her resignation.
Journalists need stronger police protection 16/3/2016
Attacks on N1 and FTV journalists are the latest examples of threats to media freedom, and once again these attacks bear witness to inadequate efforts of police and judicial authorities to protect media workers.
(Too) great expectations: Humor – media – politics 10/3/2016
As the number of the media critics is growing, regardless of their political identification, education or any other category, the number of recipients interested in satirical media content is also growing. If the free and professional media reporting is endangered, many believe that satirical news could be one solution.
The 90’s” came back in Croatian media 29/2/2016
Even the most pessimistic predictions couldn’t have foreseen that the new government in Croatia will adopt the practice used in the 90’s, when Franjo Tudjman authoritatively threatened freedom of expression in Croatian media.
Only one out of ten murders of journalists is prosecuted 24/2/2016
None of about 40 killings of journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 25 years has been clarified. Around the world more than 2.300 journalists and media workers have been killed while covering different events, and only one of ten killings of journalists gets investigated.
Laws Serving to Persecute Belarus Journalists (available also in English) 17/2/2016
Dozens of freelance journalists in Belarus face fines for working for “foreign media”. European press associations warned on this eastern republic’s authorities’ continuation of bad practice after they sanctioned, at the beginning of this year, Larysa Shchyrakova with around 225 euro for breaking an article of the Belarusian Code on Administrative Offenses which forbids freelance journalists in the country from working with foreign media outlets.
Language Barriers and Governments Lower Information Flow on the Internet (available also in English) 10/2/2016
Digital communication strategist Gillo Cutrupi warned that there is too much noise on the Internet and that it is lowering information flow. Cutrupi spoke to Media.ba about today’s biggest threats to unobstructed flow of digital information and how every activist, organisation and journalist can strengthen the civil society sector.
Resource Centre Aims to Combat Intimidation of European Journalists (available also in English) 27/1/2016
In order to ease spreading of useful information and contents on media freedoms in Europe, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso and European Centre for Journalists and Media Freedom, developed a new online platform – the Resource Centre.
Online media in Bosnia: Hate speech in comments 09/12/2015
Online hate speech presented in comment sections is one of the problems to which media community in Bosnia and Herzegovina has devoted its attention.
Elections in Turkey: Restrictions and attacks on media (available also in English) 02/12/2015
Reporting over the bombings around the elections in Turkey was banned while the majority of media presented the ruling party AKP as the only owner and protector of the country. Meanwhile, the so-called “supporters of AKP“ attacked the Doğan media center, where offices of Hurriyet daily are located, while their columnist Ahmet Hakan was attacked in front of his house. In the pre-election period there were many other attacks and prosecutions against the journalists.
The case of Mohammed Rasool: the price of being a journalist in Turkey (available also in English) 12/11/2015
What does a 25 year-old very talented journalist with a double major in the same prison with ISIL militants?
Helping journalists in small towns 02/11/2015
Borka Rudic, Secretary General of BH Journalists Association, talks about the organization’s plan to open local chapters throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and offer stronger support to journalists in small towns
Massive corporations dominate the media landscape 05/10/2015
Goran Sarić, a well-known journalist, writer, lecturer and former assistant editor of one of the most important cultural magazines in ex-Yugoslavia “Književna revija”, assesses the situation of professional standards of journalism and media ethics, citing the main weaknesses and strengths.