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Report: Bosnia and Herzegovina FreeMedia Help Line in 2000
SARAJEVO 10 April 2001
SARAJEVO, 10 April 2001 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina today released its FreeMedia Help Line report for 2000, including a detailed review of cases reported to the Help Line in 2000.
Out of 104 cases reported in 2000, 32 cases were registered in the Republika Srpska and 72 in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation. The OSCE believes this discrepancy may not necessarily reflect a more oppressive working environment for media in the Federation, but could be indicative of more of a willingness - or public awareness - to contact the OSCE when these incidents occur in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation.
"Most people assume that that the Help Line is just a database, that we are just gathering information or recording facts about the situation concerning the journalists' rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina." said Regan McCarthy, the Director of the OSCE's Department of Media Affairs "What makes the Help Line unique not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also elsewhere, is that we respond to every complaint that we receive and provide effective assistance, unless asked not to do so."
Officials holding public functions were most frequently involved in reported incidents. In a survey that OSCE conducted in early 2000 among journalists from 50 outlets around the country, more than 90 percent of journalists that have experienced some level of interference reported that the source of that interference was appointed or elected government or political officials. By the end of 2000 that figure has dropped below 40 percent. Such a high level of political pressure on the media is still unacceptably high, but this drop nevertheless constitutes a dramatic change in the right direction. The nature and quality of investigative reporting has also improved, particularly regarding corruption as reported in the print media.
The FreeMedia Help Line, established in November 1999 and overseen by the OSCE's Department of Media Affairs, serves as a confidential point of contact for BiH journalists and media professionals who feel threatened, intimidated, or physically in danger as a direct result of their work. Although the working environment for BiH media has dramatically improved since the 1992-95 Bosnian conflict, the legacy of intimidation and fear - which remarkably serves to chill investigative reporting - was felt by many journalists throughout the country in 2000. While the media legislation that the OSCE assisted in drafting in 2000 will in future contribute to development of more democratic and transparent working environment for journalists in BiH, the need remains for continuous efforts in providing the media in BiH with assistance through the FreeMedia Help Line.
For more information please contact OSCE Deputy Spokesperson Sanela Tunovic at ++387/(0)33 292-338 or at ++387/(0) 66 134-758.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
Out of 104 cases reported in 2000, 32 cases were registered in the Republika Srpska and 72 in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation. The OSCE believes this discrepancy may not necessarily reflect a more oppressive working environment for media in the Federation, but could be indicative of more of a willingness - or public awareness - to contact the OSCE when these incidents occur in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation.
"Most people assume that that the Help Line is just a database, that we are just gathering information or recording facts about the situation concerning the journalists' rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina." said Regan McCarthy, the Director of the OSCE's Department of Media Affairs "What makes the Help Line unique not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also elsewhere, is that we respond to every complaint that we receive and provide effective assistance, unless asked not to do so."
Officials holding public functions were most frequently involved in reported incidents. In a survey that OSCE conducted in early 2000 among journalists from 50 outlets around the country, more than 90 percent of journalists that have experienced some level of interference reported that the source of that interference was appointed or elected government or political officials. By the end of 2000 that figure has dropped below 40 percent. Such a high level of political pressure on the media is still unacceptably high, but this drop nevertheless constitutes a dramatic change in the right direction. The nature and quality of investigative reporting has also improved, particularly regarding corruption as reported in the print media.
The FreeMedia Help Line, established in November 1999 and overseen by the OSCE's Department of Media Affairs, serves as a confidential point of contact for BiH journalists and media professionals who feel threatened, intimidated, or physically in danger as a direct result of their work. Although the working environment for BiH media has dramatically improved since the 1992-95 Bosnian conflict, the legacy of intimidation and fear - which remarkably serves to chill investigative reporting - was felt by many journalists throughout the country in 2000. While the media legislation that the OSCE assisted in drafting in 2000 will in future contribute to development of more democratic and transparent working environment for journalists in BiH, the need remains for continuous efforts in providing the media in BiH with assistance through the FreeMedia Help Line.
For more information please contact OSCE Deputy Spokesperson Sanela Tunovic at ++387/(0)33 292-338 or at ++387/(0) 66 134-758.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.