Podgorica, (MINA) – Pressures on journalists and media workers in Montenegro intensified significantly last year, chairman of the Media Trade Union (SMCG), Radomir Krackovic has said, adding that public officials and politicians have become increasingly intolerant of criticism.
Krackovic congratulated Montenegrin journalists on January 23 – the Day of Journalists of Montenegro.
He said that throughout last year journalists were targeted by certain politicians who launched defamation campaigns against them on social media or pressed charges against them in response to their reporting.
“Overall, when it comes to press freedom, I believe that the pressures on the journalists and media workers intensified last year”, Krackovic told the MINA News Agency.
According to him, some public officials openly displayed hostility towards journalists at press conferences, while others banned access to certain events to media outlets that had previously criticized their work.
Krackovic recalled that there were several attempts to prevent journalists from reporting from the Parliament late last year.
When asked how much the position of media workers had changed over the past year, he replied that, economically, media workers in Montenegro shared the fate of most citizens, with their salaries increasing under the Europe Now 2 program.
“Once SMCG conducts research on the economic status next year, I expect that it will reveal a more or less similar situation to previous years, namely that the majority of journalists and media workers still receive salaries below the national average”, Krackovic added.
Speaking about attacks on journalists, Krackovic said that last year SMCG recorded 19 cases of attacks and incidents, which is an increase compared to 2023 when there were 16 cases.
He pointed out that the police and the prosecution reacted promptly in almost all cases, especially in the most serious one, the attack on Pobjeda journalist Ana Raickovic.
“Now the key issue remains – that all attacks on journalists and media workers are finally adequately sanctioned”, emphasized Krackovic.
He added that there was no major progress in old and most difficult cases of attacks on journalists, such as the murder of Dusko Jovanovic of 20 years ago.
Speaking about the new media laws, Krackovic assessed that these legal solutions would have a double impact on media pluralism and media freedom in Montenegro.
“It’s a good thing that, owing to the suggestions put forward by SMCG, autonomy within newsrooms has been further improved, ensuring that journalists will now be consulted during the selection or dismissal by editors-in-chief”, said Krackovic.
He reiterated that SMCG believes that with unexpected changes to the Law on Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) the Government tried to legalize the appointment of the Public Broadcaster Director General, whose election had been ruled illegal by courts on two occasions last year.
“In this way, we continue to have a clear political influence over the Public Broadcaster, which should be independent in its work. It certainly cannot contribute to media pluralism”, Krackovic pointed out.
