From 2011 to 2014, 124 Serbian state institutions and companies have spent 60.9 million euros for advertising services and marketing, while the Anti-Corruption Council estimates that in this period, all national and local institutions together spent around 840 million euros.
"Journalists do not kneel, and the Prime Minister has to honour his promises!" Under this slogan, journalists demonstrated on Monday night throughout Serbia. Demonstrations were held in Belgrade, but also in Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac, Leskovac and Vranje, demanding the dismissal of the Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić, promised by Prime Minister Vučić.
The "Parallel Program", the discussion of which was postponed included a curious clause which seems to abolish the transparency in public expenditure over specific Interior Affair actions. What is truly happening with transparency? Who wants to quash the, already dysfunctional transparency system and why?
The new online platform OnlineResource Centre on Media Freedom is presented to Albanian journalists and public opinion as an important project supporting media freedom in Europe
An additional 24 hours of detention period has been requested for JİNHA journalist Beritan Canözer who had been taken into custody while following up news in Diyarbakır.
The book by journalist Tatari “Grandma, I was not really in Diyarbakır” and Cemal’s books “Delila, A Young Woman Guerilla’s Mountain Diaries” and “Kurdistan Diaries in the Solution Process” have been ordered to be pulled off the shelves. Ahmet Işık has also been sentenced to a punitive fine of 1,232 euros for having defamed Binali Yıldırım, Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication.
Catalin Tolontan, chief editor at Gazeta Sporturilor, was the subject of a stakeout while he was working on a journalistic investigation regarding the tragic events that occured at Colective Club – the accident in which 61 people died, and more were othere were injured.
On November 25 , ActiveWatch, Romanian NGO concerned with the press freedom in Romania, launch a press release urging the authorities to investigate urgently action stakeout that targeted journalist Catalin Tolontan and take all necessary measures to ensure the immediate protection of his and his family . "The case Tolontan seemed very serious and it is not a singular case " - declared Razvan Martin , project coordinator in the department of ActiveWatch FreeEx .
According to the journalists syndicate in Macedonia, only 1 % of the media workers in the country are sure about the stability of their employment while and 77 % said that they are fearfull they could lose their job.
This summer, the Serbian government launched the auction of 72 public media, mostly local ones. Only a handful have found buyers. For the others, this privatization under EU pressure marks the end of an era.
