President of the Democratic Party, Zoran Lutovac he announced yesterday after the parliamentary collegium, discussions regarding the upcoming elections with the representatives Radio and Television of Serbia and Radio-television of Vojvodina from Friday, and then with other television stations with national coverage.
While part opposition which participates in the elections, expects a change in editorial policy and more participation in RTS, the profession warns that the current way of functioning of the government of the Serbian Progressive Party speaks in favor of the fact that they will not give up one of the main levers of their government - the National Public Service.
Phonet / Aleksandar BardaAleksandar Jovanović Ćuta: "The government dropped the ball a little"
Silent: The government dropped the ball a little, I hope for changes
Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta from the Ecological Uprising assessed for "Vreme" that there must be a change in the editorial policy, as well as that the government representatives are ready to give way.
"Everything is changing, so it must also change." "Serbs have not been able to liberate RTS for thirteen years, but that will happen," Jovanović is convinced.
When asked how the editorial policy will change and how SNS will "let go" of RTS, he answers: "I don't know. Nobody knows that. We asked that in their news broadcasts, the time that belongs to the opposition should be proportional to what we won on December 17 in the elections. I don't know if that will happen."
He reveals that more will be known about the change in editorial policy at RTS on Friday, after the meeting in the Serbian Parliament, which will be attended by representatives of parliamentary groups and the director of the National Public Service, Dragan Bujošević.
"I hope that after that meeting, more will be known about the editorial policy of RTS during the upcoming election campaign," said the leader of the Ecological Uprising.
He also assesses that the government "dropped the ball", and hopes that a compromise can be reached.
"I see that Branabic dropped the ball a little in the last week and I see that they are ready to give in." I'm not saying everything will change, but I think they've changed course a bit and that's how it will be. They will give something, but I don't know how much. It seems to me that the government has lost its energy. I see them reacting around the Assembly, they are not so aggressive anymore, they are not as if they have been let off the chain. I see that they have loosened up a bit, but I don't know how they will behave in the future," said Jovanović.
Photo: Strahinja Aćimović/TanjugJelena Jerinić
Jerinić: Change reporting not only during the pre-election campaign
Green-Left Front MP Jelena Jerinić tells "Vreme" that the opposition previously proposed concrete mechanisms to ensure pluralism in the media, and notes that the government did not accept it.
"It was contained in our demands back in March." Professional journalistic associations should also be involved, to define instructions for that. Second, we asked for the replacement of the leadership of RTS and the replacement of REM members. "This is not the first time, because we requested the same on two occasions and in October last year," said Jerinić.
However, she says, at the beginning of April, SNS, that is, Ana Brnabić, offered discussions with the media about reporting during the pre-election campaign.
"It was agreed that on Friday we will hold talks with public services, with RTS and RTV, and then to continue talks with other media as well." We insisted that complaints be pointed out about the work of the media with a national frequency. While on the other hand, SNS insists that it is necessary to talk with the United Media group as well," Jerinić reminds.
He emphasizes the importance of the fact that this is not only about the way of reporting during the election campaign.
"It's about overall reporting, especially in the news program, because RTS is actually carrying out an official campaign, which OIDHR has always been concerned about. Therefore, it is not about our intention, as they accuse us, of editing a public service. One of the OIDHR recommendations is already being implemented. That will be our position when those talks take place," concluded Jerinić.
Photo: TanjugPhoto: Tanjug
Veljanovski: Without a change of government, there is no change at RTS
Rade Veljanovski, a retired professor of the Faculty of Political Sciences, said in an interview for "Vreme", regarding the opposition's demand for professionalization and improvement of RTS reporting, that it will be difficult to happen unless there is a change of government. He pointed out that the ruling coalition has not and will not accept the requests regarding the change of the editorial policy of the Public Service.
"The editorial policy has not been right for years. And of course, then it is extremely difficult to imagine that it is even possible for that to change in a month, until the elections are held. This is impossible, especially since there is a leadership in RTS that interprets demands for a change in editorial policy as pressure. Representatives of the executive and authorities, REM and others give them the right to do so," Veljanovski believes.
According to him, the situation is at a complete impasse, because it is impossible to force the people who work and are responsible in the Public Service to work as they should.
Everything is written in the law, which no one follows
"Everything is written in the laws. They are not ideal, but they largely implement European standards and experiences. However, the people who work 'inside' just don't respect that. They are acting outside the law, that is, they are continuing with the attitude that the state radio and television once had, which is that the government is inviolable. And we now have an incredible situation. We hear from REM that it is extremely difficult to judge who from the opposition should be given space in the public service, when there are so many opposition parties, and they wonder how much space should be given to them," Veljanovski said.
He believes that we have reached a schizophrenic situation, something that is absolutely no criterion in democratic media systems.
"Simply, RTS and REM do not understand that if a political party is founded today, which has no influence, it is the duty of the public service to devote at least a few minutes to it, because that is their role - to present to the public everything that exists and that there is no reciprocity. They don't know that and that's why they do it that way," said the interlocutor of "Vremena".
Necessary change in REM
He says that the situation would change if people who work according to the law were brought to REM, and who, based on their powers, would appoint new people to the Management Board of RTS, who would elect new directors and editors-in-chief.
He reminds that October is the deadline for the new constitution of REM, and that it remains to be seen whether what is written in the law that the entire composition of REM should be changed will be implemented.
Nothing without a change of government.
Veljanovski assesses that it is not possible to change the editorial concept of RTS without a change of government.
"This government will not give the media, they will not let them out of their hands." And as we can see, they are constantly producing their backup positions. If one day, under the pressure of the domestic and international public, they 'launch' the public service, they have already fought, with the support of European factors, that Telekom can have its own media, as well as that Informer can have television as well," concludes Veljanovski.
It indicates that the government is one step ahead of the opposition in the information and propaganda segment and that their unlimited power has enabled them to do all that. Accordingly, everything points to the fact that without a change of government, there will be no change in the editorial policy of RTS.
