26. 03. 2005

NO CRITICAL ROLE OF MEDIA

LESKOVAC, March 26, 2005 – Belgrade University professor Ratko Bozovic has rated journalism in Serbia as not enough critical and investigative. Speaking at the panel of Leskovac Circle under title “Culture, media sphere”, Bozovic said that the main reason for the lack of critical journalism in Serbia lied in the fact that after the democratic changes in October 2000, no one had drawn the line. “Journalists are in trouble due to real confusion created on the political scene. Actors have just crossed from the old to a new show. There is no critical role of the media, just a manifestation”, said Bozovic. He also pointed out that the media have easily got over the period of Milosevic’s rule, that is, the times of wars, atrocities, empty shelves in the supermarkets, inflation and enormous prosperity of the individuals. “No journalist had asked those people where they have got their riches from. No one dares to remind that the candidate for the Serbian president, Tomislav Nikolic, is in fact Deputy President of the Serbian Radical Party, and highly ranked in a paramilitary formation. A politician kicks the journalist, but still gets journalists’ massive support later”, said Bozovic. Bozovic sees professionalism as a way out, as well as culture, reasoning and knowledge of people working in the media.