07. 06. 2004

Formula for media privatisation

BANJA VRUJCI, June 7, 2004 – Serbia’s minister for culture, Dragan Kojadinovic, said today that the state should enable journalists to buy the companies for which they work in future privatisation procedures. “This would repay journalists for what they are owed in fear, effort and sacrifice in the fight for free, independent and truthful reporting,” said Kojadinovic at a round table on the “The fate of media in the light of new legislation on broadcast, telecommunications and information technology”. The minister added that reporters and other media professionals must not be allowed to lose the companies and the things for which they had been fighting and eventually won, adding that a magic formula must therefore be found. That was being sought at the moment, he said, in order to offer ownership of media to journalists first in the privatisation process. “Perhaps the government could provide extra guarantees for loans – and we’re not talking about large amounts of money – which the employees could obtain to buy the companies for which they work,” said Kojadinovic. He emphasised that this was his personal suggestion and was yet to be discussed by the cabinet, but added he was certain that it would be supported because “we must not let people with funds of suspicious origin launder their money by buying certain media companies”.