Article by Ms. Nena Skopljanac, political scientist/Media research, Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien, published in german translation in FriZ, Friedenszeitung, August 1998

"No war here"

According to Radio-television of Serbia, there is no war in Kosov@.. Life goes normally, and only in some areas there is a fight against attacks of "terrorists". Every evening the audience can see the pictures of people walking freely in the streets in Pristina, shops and restaurants full with customers, cheerful children in playgrounds... contrasted with the pictures of destroyed villages, burnt houses, dead cattle, with the subtitle in Serbian and Albanian language: "This is how it is there where terrorists are". There is no word about Albanian civilians who were killed, arrested, tortured, taken as hostages, were forced to refuge their homes.

On the other hand, Kosova Information Center describes moves of Serb police troops, their number and arsenal of weapons; as well as on casualties among Albanian civilians, often with overestimated figures. Kosov@ Liberation Army is never attacking, but only defending villages and lives of people; its human losses are never explicitly given; its successes are exaggerated. Serb civilians who were killed, taken as hostages, or forced to leave their homes are never mentioned.

We are witnessing a real media war regarding Kosov@ between the media under a control of Milosevic’s regime on one, and the media under a control of Kosov@ Albanian shadow-authorities on the other side. Both sides figth with media manipulation and propaganda: ignore facts which do not support and exaggerate those that back "our cause"; hide information that could weaken "our" positions; permanently accuse "other side" and justify "us"; misinform; give simplified and one-sided reports and intentionally biased commentaries; use derogatory expressions for "other side"; employ black-and-white stereotypes; apply emotionally highly charged rhetoric, etc.

Such media coverage overwhelmingly spreads war psychosis through provoking and enforcing fears, uncertainty and confusion. It homogenises respective ethnic groups behind two confronted radical political claims. Finally. it produces hate and readiness to fight for "our cause".

Dialogue and negotiations need to get an adequate media coverage and support in order to be fruitful. Beside professional reporting on events, this includes a journalism comitted to: promotion of values of democracy, civic society, protection of human rights, understanding and tolerance among people with different ethnic and religious backgrounds; giving a stage to ideas, suggestions and proposals coming from all those social and political groupings which are struggling for the conflict’s peaceful solution in order to present the audience options that can be an alternative to the violent means.

Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien has local partners who carry out projects aimed at these goals. Media Project - Pristina, women media partner, makes TV production "Kosov@ - A View from Inside" in which it presents problems of everyday living of Kosov@ Albanians so to bring them closer to Serb audience which is largely ignorant about Kosov@. Daily Koha Ditore, the biggest independent media in Albanian language, plans to establish an independent TV production centre in Pristina. Radio Contact, founded from a group of young Pristina people of mixed ethnic origin, is to start broadcasting - both in Serbian and Albanian. ANEM TV Network (gathers 17 independent TV stations in Serbia and Montenegro) plans to make two long documentary movies on human rights violations in Kosov@.

As being oppressed by the regime and operating on the edge of survival, they need to be supported in order to realise these projects. Therefore, we kindly ask for your contributions. Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien, Postfach, 8031 Zuerich; PC 80-32253-9; Note: Kosova/o. On behalf of our partners, we express sincere gratitude.