IWPR & MEDIA PLAN

MONITORING REPORT

6 November 1996: Vol II/ No 2

FORTNIGHTLY B&H MEDIA REVIEW: 21 OCTOBER - 3 NOVEMBER

MEDIA CONSENSUS

The publication of letters and the broadcast of communiques are, in media terms, "pseudo-events" which do little in present circumstances to enhance a critical attitude towards sources on the part of radio and television journalists. Nor are postal services in B&H so cheap that the media should every day publish, without compensation, the voluminous correspondence between the most responsible domestic and foreign officials. Yet writing letters seems to have become the dominant form of political and, hence, of media communication for Messrs Izetbegovic, Garrod, Zubak, Brajkovic et al. Despatching letters to various important addresses seems, in fact, to have become a substitute for effective action by existing and emerging government bodies on all levels. Perhaps it is a sign, too, that institutional possibilities have been exhausted, and that the signatories wish to win public support for their otherwise unrealisable political goals. In contrast to the press, however, the electronic media do not normally serve as postmen in these cases.

The meetings of the B&H presidency are taking place according to schedule and are gradually becoming routine media events. This might be interpreted as a symptom of the political situation's normalisation were it not for the spate of explosions and fires which are destroying the houses of potential returnees to areas in or near the zone of separation between the two entities. RTV B&H has reported these destructive acts with the appropriate measure of criticism; while Srpska Radio-Television (SRT) has mentioned them only when Serb properties have been destroyed or when they could not be ignored. Radio Srpska did not, for example, inform its listeners about the destruction of 92 houses in the Prijedor area, but it did report that "Croats have set fire to 20 Serb houses near Drvar."

No such selectivity was evident in the major electronic media's coverage of the meetings of the B&H presidency. All carried the words (the deeds, if any, will come later) of condemnation uttered by the presidency regarding the mining and torching of refugees' homes. These statements did not leave much space for editorial "creativity". SRT often used reports by TANJUG from Sarajevo, but also carried foreign news agency despatches.

Television cameramen (and cutters) had many more problems than their editors in conveying the visual equality of the three presidents. Thus far it is the Croat representative, Kresimir Zubak, who has most often found himself outside the centre of the picture.

All in all, the reporting of the work of the highest state organ has been encouraging, for professional standards have been respected. That, however, is where the media consensus ends.

WHERE IS THE "AMERICAN CONDOR" SAILING?

Many media have in recent days found themselves in trouble, albeit through no fault of their own. Thanks to the "Herceg-Bosna" agency HABENA, which understands the value of a scoop more than it does the need for accuracy, the electronic media were compelled to apologise for broadcasting the supposed news of five Croats killed and others wounded in northern Bosnia. Fortunately, most media had also cited their source, which is unusual. SRT was even more cautious. It transmitted the "news" together with its denial.

All the attributes of a truly dramatic story belonged, however, to another - and real - event. This was the secret odyssey of the "American Condor". Rather than unload its cargo of arms for the federal army, the ship has cruised the Adriatic for ten days. On 26 October Radio B&H reported only that the ship had weighed anchor from Ploce, although the foreign media had already begun to speak about an American ultimatum to Sarajevo. Radio B&H then enlisted the BH Press correspondent in Zagreb. Drawing on an IFOR officer, she assured listeners that there was no "Iranian connection" upsetting the Americans. The reason why the ship left Ploce was the uncooperative attitude of the federal (and Croat) defence minister, Vladimir Coljic, who was said to be blocking the formation of a united federal army.

This loss of the address (or mis-addressing) of the person at whom the US ultimatum was directed continued to 2 November, when President Izetbegovic's pledge to remove (the Bosnjak) Hasan Cengic as deputy minister of defence was made public. This case should be an object lesson to editors about the perils of relying on "well-informed sources" who tell correspondents (and editors) what they want to hear.

TV B&H, on the other hand, tried to get to the bottom of the story in the most direct manner. It brought B&H Premier Hasan Muratovic into the studio. Notwithstanding much persistence and skill on the part of the presenter of "Dnevnik", the public remained uninformed. The confusion continued and, with it, more versions of what was going on were produced.

Croatian Television (HRT) also showed considerable interest in the "Cengic affair". From the very beginning, HRT was in no doubt that his removal was being demanded by the Americans because of his alleged "pro-Iranian orientation". The case was a topic on the new current affairs programme "Motrista" on 2 November. (This programme is intended to replace "Slikom na sliku", but - according to the editors - with "Croat journalists and Croat opinions". The former programme was reputedly cancelled on the direct orders of President Tudjman.) "Motrista", for its part, rejected any notion that the US might be seeking Coljic's replacement, considering this a Bosnjak "attempt to throw the ball in the other court."

SRT presented the story of the Muslim leadership's supposed links to Teheran with barely concealed joy.

YOU TURN ME OFF, I TURN YOU OFF

The purpose of local elections all over the world is to elect local government officials. Things are different in B&H. Here the local elections are intended to settle other and perhaps more important matters. Reporting on this subject, RTV B&H is content mainly to air the statements of party leaders and government representatives in which they argue about the advantages and disadvantages of postponing the poll until next spring.

SRT, following the official RS line, maintains that the issue is being used by the international community against the interests of the Serb people. On 25 October "Novosti" broadcast RS President Biljana Plavsic's warning that any attempt to change the election rules (ie, to nullify the registrations of would-be Form P-2 voters) would be unacceptable because "that would exclude 380,000 Serbs from the voting process." The opposition parties more or less shared this view. An exception was the DSF (Democratic Party of Federalists), whose representative opined on "TV Parliament" (29 October) that "maybe it is in the interest of Serbs to return to vote in Sarajevo, and to establish local government there."

The ruling SDS has obviously given up the idea of organising ist own local elections in RS, but it has sought compensation by participating in the elections in FR Yugoslavia. Since October 26, when its decision to take part was announced, SRT has reported SDS rallies in Niksic, Pljevlja, Kotor and Pristina in both its regular newscasts and special programmes. The concept of a united Serb state has been resurrected once more. Speaking at a meeting in Pristina on 31 October, Vice-Premier Velibor Ostojic told his audience that "deep and fundamental changes" would first be necessary in Serbia and Montenegro. It seems, however, that this message did not reach many of the voters for whom it was intended.

One reason lies in the fact that TV Serbia has completely ignored the SDS campaign. A second reason is technical. Following an inspection several days earlier, SRT's transmitter on Dedinje was silenced. This ended reception of its signal in the Belgrade area. In protest, the SRT management announced ("Novosti", 30 October) a counter-measure: it was turning off TV Serbia's transmitter on Mt Kozara until such time as programme reciprocity (as well as brotherhood and unity) were re-established. An additional reason for this move cited by SRT was the occasional use of the Kozara transmitter for the broadcasts of Independent TV Banja Luka. This station has no permission to operate from the RS authorities.

Election periods are not always a time for national idylls. You turn me off; I turn you off.

TV B&H: AS THE PICTURE SAYS

"Dnevnik" at 19.30 remains the most interesting programme on TV B&H. Even extracts from other programmes (eg, parts of interviews and political and music spots) that the editor thinks significant are being included in "Dnevnik". The care and attention lavished by TV B&H management on "Dnevnik" seems, however, to exhaust the energy needed for the improvement of other current affairs programmes. These remain rather "backward" in comparison with the offerings of the competition.

In the period under review, "Dnevnik" has devoted most of ist attention to the meetings of three-man B&H Presidency, to the problems of the federation, to the demolitions of Bosnjak houses in RS and on the territory under HVO control, and to the Cengic affair. Most reports were relatively professional. At times a certain aversion towards the RS authorities was perceptible, but harsh words and judgments were avoided.

As the date for the delivery of the arbitration verdict on Brcko approaches, the number of items related to this topic is increasing. A TV B&H crew has visited the city. In a report aired on 2 November, Serb inhabitants complained about their social problems. TV B&H's reporter also spoke to Bosnjak refugees from Brcko. One noted: "I wish only to return, and I stress we have nothing against the Serbs." Was it because of such conciliatory voices - or because of a wish to strike a patriotic note - that the presenter introduced the item with these words: "One has the impression that the Serb population is ready to accept the arbitration decision" and that "Brcko has to go back where it belongs - to Bosnia"?

The normalisation of relations between B&H and the FRY was reflected only through the fate of the bus line linking Sarajevo and Belgrade. A thorough explanation for the break in the service was aired on 30 October. Although blame for the interruption was said to lie with the Yugoslav side, the report was moderate in tone.

TV B&H viewed the FRY elections through the prism of happenings in Sandzak. Both the news selected and the commentaries offered made it plain that TV B&H approved of the coalition forged by all the Bosnjak parties. The information that 50,000 Bosnjaks were missing from voter registration lists received great play, but in the second half of "Dnevnik".

On 2 November "Dnevnik" covered the Islamic funeral (d-enaza) and reinterment of Musan Topalovic Caco, the most controversial of the warlords during Sarajevo's period of external - and internal - siege. The report was wholly pictorial. TV B&H was obviously at a loss about how to define this exceptional and massively attended manifestation, which could be understood as a posthumous rehabilitation. Presenting the event as it was seen by the eye of the camera, without any journalistic text, seemed to underline the drama and novelty of the spectacle, confronting viewers - and citizens of Sarajevo in particular - with many questions. As the picture says...

SRPSKA TV: TWO WORLDS

Srpska TV showed unusual persistence in its efforts to keep the first session of the RS National Assembly in the limelight for as long as possible, and thus to prolong the political (and media) gain. The editors of public affairs programmes ("And what do you say?", "TV Parliament" and "Vidik") assessed the session of the RS Assembly as a triumph of democracy and an event of historic significance. Contrary to the democratic principles which he invoked so often, the editor of "And what do you think?" continued on 21 October to deny Bosnjak MPs any opportunity to reply to the recurrent criticism of their walkout on the religious part of the Assembly's inaugural ceremony. Instead, viewers had a chance to ask questions like: "What are Muslims doing in RS?"

In the broadcast of "TV Parliament" on 22 October the new Assembly's leadership was presented. From the interview with the vice-president, Nikola Poplasen, one could discover that a multi-party and multi-national RS Assembly was the result both of real votes and "of votes delivered in bags." This was supposed to be a reproof of the international community for its "foul deeds". Replying to a public remark by Alija Izetbegovic that B&H is a secular, and not an Orthodox state, the newly elected Assembly president, Dragan Kalinic, claimed: "If Mr. Izetbegovic thinks B&H is a worldly state, then he is correct: we are indeed two worlds!"

Srpska TV does not succeed - on the odd occasion when it tries - to justify its programmes' attitude towards the question of refugee return, though that is one of the fundamental requirements of the Dayton treaty. Its xenophobic reactions are often reduced to the assertion that "Muslims have brought anarchy into the separation zone" and "a time bomb has been planted". In a report ("Novosti", 22 October) from a press conference held by international organisations in Banja Luka, a journalist "covered" with his commentary the facts about houses being blown up. Accusing the foreigners of misunderstanding the Dayton agreement, the journalist concluded: "All this resembles an attempt to revive a multi-ethnic corpse by those who shared in the responsibility for his death." Programmes often aim to direct odium towards the international community, as was the case in a discussion of the functions of IFOR on "And what do you say" on 28 October.

Srpska TV continues to show a keen interest in the problems of the Federation. But placing stories from the Federation in the segment "From Abroad" is not only artificial in a media sense, it is also contrary to the Dayton agreement. In any case, when something positive occurs - like the recent signing of several agreements by Alija Izetbegovic and Kresimir Zubak - the news seems somehow to be overlooked by SRT.

TV SERBIA: ELECTION SILENCE ABOUT B&H

Judging by the main newscasts on TV Serbia, the finish of the federal and local election campaigns in FR Yugoslavia was not marked by any serious attempts to address or resolve the political enigma of B&H. The approach of the state media differed totally from its behaviour in the last FRY elections, when B&H was a dominant and even inescapable issue. (See "Ekranizacija izbora", a report published with the European Commission.) As polling day approached, TV Serbia lost even what little interest events in B&H had heretofore had for it. On four days during the period "Dnevnik" did not devote a single word to the problems of its neighbour. TV Serbia's attention was not attracted by the meetings of the authorities in Sarajevo or Pale with foreign statesmen, nor by the first visit of RS President Plavsic to Greece. Election appearances by leaders of the SDS "of all Serb lands", who joined in the last few metres of the race in their "motherland", interested TV Serbia even less.

TV Serbia's indifference indicates that the ruling SPS has left for better times the striking of a new balance in its policy towards B&H. But certain charges levelled by would-be national saviours did have to answered. This happened - and the Bosnian file was simply closed - when FRY President Zoran Lilic told "Dnevnik" on 31 August that, "Were it not for the peacemaking policy of Yugoslavia and its guarantee, there would be no RS, nor would there be any peace and stability, nor would there have been elections in B&H." An analogous message was repeated the next day (during the pre-poll silence), when the editors of "Dnevnik" chose to use archive footage to remind viewers (and voters) of the anniversary of the start of the ultimately successful negotiations in Dayton. It is interesting that the B&H media showed no such interest in similarly reminding their audience.

MEDIA NEWS IN BRIEF

AUS, an American journalists' organisation, has protested to Momcilo Krajisnik because of the recent assault on US journalist Mike Krish in RS. (See MR 1.) In a letter dated 17 October, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) insisted Krajisnik should ensure the return of Krish's cassettes and the punishment of the two Serb police officers involved. The CPJ also demanded that attacks on journalists should stop forthwith.

The Social Democratic Party of B&H has sent a letter (more letters!) to the manager and editors of TV B&H with the request that it stop ignoring the party's political activities. "TV B&H does not have any right to nullify us, nor any other parliamentary party," said SDP Vice-President Zlatko Lagumdzija.

Before the war there were many company papers and magazines. During the war they met the same fate as their founders. As firms are revitalised, the enterprise press is reawakening as well. On such publication is the PTT's newspaper, the first issue of which has just appeared.

After the manager of the independent Bosnjak Radio Hayat in Tuzla, Camil Custovic, decided to appoint Adnan Pejcinovic as editor-in-chief, some of the station's journalists and technicians objected. This led Custovic to give them notice, and to forbid them from entering the station's premises. Angry workers responded by taking away technical equipment, which caused a short break in broadcasting. The sacked workers have announced that they will appeal to Tuzla's Mufti Kazazovic, to Governor Hadzic and to the cantonal minister of information, all of whom evidently have influence on the management of Radio Hayat.

A symposium on "Democracy and the Media in Multi-national Environments", co-organised by the B&H Association of Journalists and the Faculty of Political Science, was held in Sarajevo on 25-26 October. The event was sponsored by Federal Premier Izudin Kapetanovic and received financial support from the Soros Foundation.

The paper presented by Deputy High Representative Michael Steiner attracted particular attention. Speaking about the role of the media in implementing the Dayton peace treaty, Steiner repudiated the assertion by Emin Skopljak, director of the government Telecommunications Agency, that the TVIN project was realised "illegally and as a result of an ultimatum". Steiner stressed that independent media should be controlled neither by mentors from abroad nor by state organs, but rather by journalists themselves.

Certain Sarajevo media reacted to their allegedly unequal treatment in covering the meetings of the B&H presidency. An adviser to President Izetbegovic, Kemal Muftic, also sent a protest to Carl Bildt. Bildt's office rejected any responsibility for the media arrangements, claiming that the participants themselves had selected the media representatives delegated to cover their sessions. Be that as it may, at the fifth meeting (the fourth working session) all journalists who were interested, both from the independent and state media, were permitted to attend. This time journalists were accredited by the presidency itself.

In an interview with Dnevi avaz (2-3 November), the vice-president of the SDA, Edhem Bicakcic, answered a question about the status of RTV B&H: "We think there should be state media, like RTV B&H. Beside the state media, there can exist national media as well, and you know that preparations are in

hand to establish Television Ljiljan. It will soon start broadcasting. There are also several media which call themselves independent and which are being financed by the Soros Foundation. There is also Bildt Television, which some local stations have joined... It will be necessary to arrange all media operations. We will not here go in for changing people for the sake of changes, but this area will simply come into the scope of reordering relationships, and will probably require different solutions."

The former youth magazine for culture, Lica (Sarajevo), resumed publication at the beginning of this year. Now a triple issue (nos 5-7) has appeared, with a record length of 164 pages and very professional graphic design.

Media Plan from Sarajevo and the Ecole Superiere for Journalism from Lille (France) will organise 10 training courses for radio journalists. The first course - for local radio station employees - is in progress at Sarajevo's Radio 202.

Tuzla's Municipal Council is due to decide shortly on the liquidation of Public Enterprise RTV Tuzla. According to the office of Mayor Selim Beslagic, Radio Tuzla should resume independent operations under the continuing aegis of the municipality; while TV Tuzla should be transformed into a limited liability company, the shares of which would be owned, among others, by the journalists employed at the station.

The Human Rights Coordination Centre at the Office of the High Representative reported on 5 November that a decision in the trial in Doboj of the independent weekly, Alternativa, had been postponed the previous day. The trial, which is being monitored by OHR, OSCE, UN IPFT and others, is the result of a suit filed by the RS minister for veterans affairs and the director of the Doboj PTT. They have accused Alternativa's two editors, Pavle Stanisic and Zivko Savkovic, of libel in a 17 July article which allegedly implicated the local SDS branch in a scheme to disrupt opposition party activities during the campaign. The Glas srpski printshop in Banja Luka suspended printing of Alternativa on 31 October, after the paper reported on the former's refusal last month to continue printing the opposition papers Novi prelom and Nezavisne novine for "technical reasons".

In an effort to bolster the independent press, OSCE, OHR and ECMM are cooperating to support an initiative to launch an independent and self-supporting printworks in RS which would be run by a mixed board of domestic and international representatives. The proposed printing house is seen as a viable means of securing the long-term future of the alternative media in RS. International donors are already funding several independent media projects in RS, and are expected to help with this one as well.

The following media were monitored for this week's report: Srpski Radio, Srpska TV, Radio BiH, TV BiH, TV Srbije, Hrvatska televizija

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