07.Jul.
A latest survey found that almost a third of citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina associate the media with lies, fraud and manipulation. They perceive the media as saturated with fake news, hate speech and provision of partial information.
“When someone talks about ‘media’, the first thing that comes to mind is fake news and useless information,” said one of the respondents, a 33-year-old man from Banja Luka.
The dry -operation with the OSCE mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I watch two evening news shows, I never watch just one. I need to hear both sides and understand what things don’t fit in and what topics are avoided,” said another interviewee, a 29-year-old woman from Banja Luka.
On the other hand, in Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama bans two journalists from attending his press conferences. He did not like that journalist Kelvin Muka questioned Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka about a strategic investment project won by her husband. He did not appreciate that journalist Ambrozia Meta asked questions about an MP from the ruling Socialist Party who was arrested.
Examples of citizen distrust of journalists and scandalous behavior of high-ranking public figures are two sides of the same coin: the media are captured by political forces.
Another common problem is the lack of a legal framework that would regulate the media sector. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), alongside 15 other media freedom groups and human rights activists, is co-signing a policy brief on the upcoming draft EU Media Freedom Act ( EMFA), while the European Commission is currently finalizing the draft proposal.
“Journalism is a public good and, where the market is no longer able to support quality journalism, the government has a role to play in stepping in and ensuring that it can. » the joint declaration bed.
The media community warns that transparency of media ownership and financing is a fundamental tool to ensure media plurality, accountability and independence.
“Unlike many types of businesses, media companies have the unique power to shape public opinion. Knowing who owns and controls the media is fundamental to democratic resilience,” the EFJ said.
photo by Phrom Bank
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