Curated by the foreign affairs editorial staff at Radio Popolare, the sixth episode within the ECPMF project features Fazıla Mat, OBC correspondent from Istanbul, updating the audience on the situation in Turkey, where violations of freedom of expression continue to occur.
Electronic media in Serbia mostly fail to comply with existing laws and regulations regarding the airing of appropriate contents for specific age groups. This is what emerged at the meeting on the implementation of a new system of labeling television program, held the 1st of March in Belgrade. The most common mistake made by broadcasters is the broadcasting of a particular program at an inappropriate time, and the failure to mark programs with stamps clarifying to that age is a program tailored. The regulatory body for the electronic media is to impose more warnings and penalties, including temporary ban on broadcasting, but for a more effective regulation of the issue it is necessary to impose monetary fines, it was stated at the meeting.
Even the most pessimistic predictions couldn't have foreseen that the new government in Croatia will adopt the practice used in the 90's, when Franjo Tudjman authoritatively threatened freedom of expression in Croatian media.
The Transnational Institute (an international research centre), published a crucial piece of research concerning the privatization processes in the whole of Europe. The findings reveal that a pan-European mechanism has been built, connected to cases of corruption and damage to the public interest in many countries, also when it comes to media coverage
In Romania, the concept of freedom of press is still an Apple of Discord, used to manipulate public opinion: in 2014, Dan Voiculescu, the owner of the media group called Intact Group, was convicted to jail, for money laundering. The sentence also included seizure of all the Group television headquarters. The seizure sentence was implemented in 2016, but the journalists of the Intact Group have launched a vehement attack against Authorities, claiming that the freedom of press is violated. The Romanian Prime Minister took a stand, saying that the evacuation is legally motivated, and this has nothing to do with the broadcast license. Still, the public opinion was divided, not truly understanding the concept of press freedom. The manipulation are underway, meaning that a public debate about press freedom and freedom of speech is vital for a democratic society.
None of about 40 killings of journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 25 years has been clarified. Around the world more than 2.300 journalists and media workers have been killed while covering different events, and only one of ten killings of journalists gets investigated.
The Skopje Criminal Court did not allow reporters to attend the trial of the case "Divo Naselje", when eight Macedonian policemen were killed in the city of Kumanovo, because there was allegedly not enough space in court.
In Montenegro, the media situation is worse than during the Nineties, said Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapic adding that politics, economic forces and media are threatening to reduce the freedom of society.
The Albanian journalists' organizations presented to the Media Commission of the Albanian Parliament the critical financial situation of their members. Wages are not payed regularly and 50% of journalists do not have guarantees regarding social insurance contributions.
In Romania, in 2015 the President of Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea initiated a law project regarding slander: if a person or a minority group are subjects of slander there will be fines from 2000 to 60.000 lei (500 to 14.000 euros). On the 9th of February 2016, after the withdrawal from the public agenda, overnight, the project was adopted by the deputies. A law that could become a perverse instrument to abuse freedom of speech. The matter is still on debate.
