The Commissioner for the Information of Public Importance, Rodoljub Sabic, participated in Novi Pazar in the work of the seminar on free access to information, organised in cooperation with the OSCE Mission in our country and dedicated to journalists and the media representatives. In his speech for the participants, the Commissioner stressed that with their consistent insisting on the freedom of access to information, journalists and media may give an exceptionally significant contribution to the achievement of the vitally important transition goals of the society. Among other things, Commissioner Rodoljub Sabic said the following:     

“A democratic society needs a significantly different atmosphere from the one we have here. Our media space is literally contaminated with untruths, misinformation, half-truths. The media chronically lack reliable, documented information, primarily from the authorities and about the work of the authorities. It is in the interest of a normal flow of a democratic transition that these information are made available.

The media may also give their contribution to the fight against corruption. In our country the corruption is a chronic, system problem which got out of hand. We have received a very poor mark in the eyes of the international public, while in the perception of an enormous majority of our citizens, the corruption is one of the biggest problems of the society

The experience of other countries and the warnings of international experts go to show that an increased transparency of work and accessibility of the data on the work of the government to the media and the citizens is most directly correlated with the reduction of corruption. Therefore it is necessary for the government to create the suppositions for a free access to information and to remove obstacles much faster, including the “confidentiality” which covers various illegitimate interests, while even insulting the common sense and dignity of the citizens and the public.

It is important that the authorities and primarily the Government activate the mechanisms necessary for a normal enforcement of the law on free access to information, that they ensure a more correct relation towards the requests of journalists and citizens, and that they significantly expand the circle of information accessible to the wider public even without any special request, through their public announcements including the internet. As the duty guardians of transparency, journalists and media not only have the right and obligation to request that, but also the power and social influence which may support these legitimate requests. They should use this power and the influence, both in their own interest and in the interest of the whole society.”