Press freedom in Serbia under the pressure of politics and money

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the level of achieved freedom of the media in Serbia, as well as the willingness of the journalistic community to resist external pressures and provide an answer to their basic professional mission with objectivity, timeliness, comprehensiveness and truthful reporting. Observation of the current professional developments is done through the type of media system that is characteristic of all post-communist countries. The answer to the question of whether after two decades of transition in Serbia there is an appropriate socio-political climate for achieving the ideals of journalism as defined by normative standards, will be sought through the operationalization of three sets of key indicators. The effects of political and economic pressures on the media, market conditions, as well as relevant standards within the professional community are considered through the use of structuralistic argumentation. With regards to the methodology, the work is based on secondary analysis of quantitative data obtained in the survey of journalists/editors and owners/managers, as well as, qualitative analysis of statements from four focus groups. Comparing the results of this study with the relevant indicators that measure press freedom, we can conclude that journalism has not reached the potential to guard democracy in Serbia. The current situation results in a politicized media system, the parallelism of political and economic pressures on the media, the dominance of sensationalism and tabloidization trend, and the journalistic profession without a clearly defined identity.

Cilj ovog rada je da preispita nivo dostignutih sloboda za rad medija u Srbiji, kao i spremnost novinarske zajednice da se odupre spoljnim pritiscima i odgovori na osnovnu profesionalnu misiju objektivnim, pravovremenim, potpunim i istinitim izveštavanjem. Aktuelna profesionalna zbivanja neophodno je posmatrati kroz tip medijskog sistema koji je karakterističan za sve postkomunističke zemlje. Odgovor na pitanje da li nakon dvodecenijske tranzicije u Srbiji postoji adekvatna društveno-politička klima za ostvarenje ideala novinarstva definisanog normativnim zahtevima, potražićemo operacionalizacijom tri seta ključnih indikatora. Dejstvo političkih i ekonomskih pritisaka na rad medija, uslovi tržišta, kao i važeći standardi unutar profesionalne zajednice razmatraju se upotrebom strukturalističke argumentacije. Metodološki, rad je baziran na sekundarnoj analizi kvantitativnih podataka dobijenih anketiranjem novinara/urednika i vlasnika/menadžera, kao i kvalitativnom obradom izjava iz četiri fokus grupe. Komparirajući rezultate ovog istraživanja sa relevantnim indeksima koji mere slobodu medija, možemo zaključiti da se novinarstvo još uvek ne može smatrati 'doraslim' čuvarom demokratije u Srbiji. Ovakvo stanje uzrokuje politizovan medijski sistem, paralelizam političkih i ekonomskih pritisaka na rad medija, dominacija senzacionalizma i trend tabloidizacije, kao i činjenica da je novinarska profesija bez jasno određenog identiteta.