03. 06. 2004

Resisting local government autocracy

BELGRADE, June 3, 2004 – NGOs and media have called for public support for the ongoing industrial action taken by staff at TV Smederevo. More than 130 non-governmental organisations, media associations and local media have called on government bodies to stop the autocratic behaviour of local government representatives. In a letter distributed to journalists in the Belgrade Media Centre, the public was urged to support TV Smederevo staff who have been on strike for 70 days. The NGOs and media associations further noted that the TV Smederevo issue is a flagrant example of local media's political dependence on the municipal authorities, a phenomenon typical of the times of Slobodan Milosevic. The president of the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists, Nebojsa Bugarinovic, said he was afraid that local media journalists would emerge as the greatest victims of transition, given the problems which confront them. He added that the TV Smederevo strike was an obvious demonstration that the wielders of local power aimed at establishing party media. "The TV Smederevo issue is yet another proof of the fact that Serbian political parties don’t want objective, truthful and impartial journalism, but biased and party-oriented reporting. We can only draw a line starting from today and declare that there will be no giving up, sending all levels of the Serbian Government the message that we have had enough of playing games, that they must become more reasonable. Wake up and focus on the many problems under which Serbia is labouring, let journalists do their work in peace and then we will offer you our assistance,” said Bugarinovic. Striking staff at TV Smederevo claim that the local government intends to appoint someone with no experience in media as acting director of the station.The issue is further complicated by a charge laid against strikers under the Public Companies Act, which would leave them facing a maximum penalty of six years’ imprisonment if convicted.