Source: Danas
Journalists between the requirements of profession and inactive state
World Day of Press Freedom, May 3rd, for the societies that do not pay necessary attention to media freedom issue, is a good chance for them to do that, at least for a moment. During this spring, at least in our country, it wasn't that way. During this spring, volens-nolens , the attention of our public to the position of journalists and media in our society has been attracted by another, especially brutal event. The public has been in fact, completely literally, shaken by explosion of the bomb on the window sill of the flat where a journalist of one Belgrade weekly edition lives with his family.A set of circumstances led to that explosion almost simultaneously with another event which is traditionally attracting the attention of much wider - international community. Almost simultaneously, the Pulitzer Foundation Administrator - Cathedra for Journalism of Colombia University, has awarded famous Pulitzer awards, stressing by that, for who knows how many times, the importance of the role of journalists and media in the contemporary society. Although “ Pulitzer " is awarded in several different categories, it is primarily linked to top achievements in journalism. Although it is not the only one, nor the biggest regarding the monetary part, the Pulitzer's prize in journalism is practically without competition. The reason due to which this award glows with special shine is general assurance that it is not awarded only as a confirmation of one's talent, but also due to serious contribution of a journalist, or a media to events of undisputable social importance. Two of this year's laureates, journalist Bret Blackridge and The Wall Street Journal, are good illustration for that. Blackridge received his award for a series of columns about corruption on University, and The Wall Street Journal, has received it besides else, for publishing several texts on "dirty" Stock Exchange transactions. Blackridge's texts had for their result numerous police investigations, court procedures and resignations by the leading people in two-year studying system in Alabama. The texts in The Wall Street Journal have also brought to elimination of the responsible persons from their functions. Even more important thing, both of them have opened up the questions regarding system values and regarding quality of relevant regulations, but have also started the process of significant changes in organization and legislation. Although, without doubt contrast between allocation of prestigious awards and "awarding of" bombs is appalling, it is not the only reason directing us to think about the position of the journalists and media in our society, and what is more important, about the contribution they render (fail to render) to resolving vitally important social problems. Because, both our journalists and media in the last year have dealt with the topics of “ Pulitzer Prize winners". They wrote, and that a lot, about corruption and murky business transactions, privatization, public procurements, etc. But, unfortunately, with controversial effects. Even after the hot topics have been opened, very often responsibility of the people in charge was missing, and the social context hasn't changed significantly in order to prevent repeating of affairs. Lack of real, deeply necessary consequences speaks about (lack of) power of our public. Actually, it shows that the public, in the meaning it has in developed democratic societies, does not exist in our country, or is just starting to appear. We have "public opinion" - unstable, capricious and volatile, as reactions primarily based on emotional reasons, on certain events and happenings. We do not have "the public" - strong, firm, reliable reaction that does not eliminate emotions, but is based on stable complex of reasons of moral, ethical and in the end legal nature. It would be extremely unjust to say that the most responsible for the lack of mechanism that is necessary for democratic society are journalists and media. Much greater is the responsibility of the government, that is, of the political elite. The journalists and the media can render important contribution to establishing democratic public, only pending existence of the conditions for something like that. It is necessary that the state should do much more than today for securing conditions. There are many examples for that. Leaving aside in this instance, system problems regarding depoliticizing and the changes of ownership structure of the media, it is worthy reminding ourselves of few more pragmatic, but also very important issues.
By using their legally promised right of free access to information, the journalists failed to receive information on some of the bigger uses of budgetary funds or public goods. They failed, although they have asked the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and they have received a warrant from him, allowing them access to information. The body in power which was in charge of acting according to the Commissioner's solution hasn't acted accordingly, the one who was in charge of securing enforcing of that Decision also failed, as well as the person who was in charge of starting the procedure for infringement responsibility. To activate the necessary mechanisms, pending that there is will, shouldn't be a problem. Not rarely source for writing on delicate issues are insiders. Throughout the world people in touch with the information about something illegal in the environment in which they work “break the business secret code" in order to inform the public and to prevent damaging public interests, represent important source of information. Due to the fact that they protect public interest, such people shouldn't be exposed to any negative consequences. We do not have either adequate legislation or praxis for something like that. The changes in the legislation have started, at least modestly and shyly. In practice, however, the insiders face very unpleasant, extremely discouraging methods, as is confirmed by the Commissioner's experience.
Writing of the journalists about people in power, that is, about politicians, is very often a reason for criminal proceedings and trials due to the "violation of honor and public respect". And do journalists have honor and public respect? Their rare attempts to protect it from attacks by the officials using legislative power have met incomparable set of problems, including use of famous immunity. Isn't such relationship a specific form of implicit censorship? Changes initiated in the Penal Law can be completed if the responsibility for “violation of honor and public respect" should be transferred in the sphere of citizens' rights. Potential scandal that was luckily evaded in case of Bodrozic, showed that this is the thing to be done. In the end, we must not circumvent the data of journalists' associations speaking that we hold, regarding attacks on journalists, very high thirteenth place in the world and the seventh in Europe. That position should be by all means replaced by a better one. Unfortunately, this has to do with the fact that thirteen years from the death of Dada Vujasinovic, eight years from death of Slavko Curuvija and six years after death of Milan Pantic the public knows little or doesn't know anything about if and what the people in charge have done. It is of extreme importance that the last bombing attack should quickly receive different, true outcome. From all prerequisites for normal work of journalists and the media, the most important is one's own personal safety and therefore it should be priority task for the state to provide it and to punish those that endanger it. The author is Commissioner for Information.
