IWPR & MEDIA PLAN

MONITORING REPORT

18 December 1996: Vol II/ No 5

The B&H Media Fortnight in Review: 2 - 15 December

London Diagonals

Paris, Lisbon and finally London, the last destination on a tiring and slippery road of international conferences examining the first year of implementation of the DPA. The London Conference - as seen on TV - presented, if only by protocol, an important step forward. For the first time the chairs reserved for the highest Bosnian representatives were arranged and filled as conceived in Dayton. However, the illusion of a break-through disappeared quickly as in time-honored fashion journalists from the rival nationalist media covered the event by attaching themselves as closely as possible to "their" political mentors.

Srpska RTV made sure that its exclusively nationalistic stance was obvious. The London Conference was important, because a delegation from Republika Srpska was participating for the first time, with Biljana Plavšic as chief delegate. Participation was presented as proof of the statehood of Republika Srpska (Novosti, December 4). Moreover, as far as Srpska TV was concerned, participants from the other part of BiH simply did not exist. Momèilo Krajišnik and Biljana Plavšic commented frequently on the London refinements of the Dayton conclusions. Their evaluations expressed a series of political priorities: Brèko, the control of settlement in the zone of separation, economic equality of the entities. Some less pleasant ideas were also raiseded, such as the extradition of war criminals. Of course, this matter is interpreted differently by each side.

London also addressed the creation of common government institutions. Srpska TV coldly announced the appointment of Boro Bosic and Haris Silajdžic as joint presidents of the Council of Ministers (Novosti, December 12).Three days later, without any obvious motive, Srpska TV then proceeded to attack Haris Silajdžic for a series of offensive statements "against the Serbian people". Mixing the commentary of "Veèernje novosti" and his personal observation, the editor concluded: "There will be nothing from B&H reintegration, unfortunately for Silajdžic, nothing!"

In its main newscast, TV B&H (December 4 and 5) allotted a remarkable amount of time to the London Conference. Remarks made by President Alija Izetbegovic were the focal point of the coverage. His speech was summarized, the conference evaluated, and the press briefings in London and Sarajevo were also mentioned. Krešimir Zubak, the Croat member of the Presidency, failed to merit a single mention, and Momèilo Krajišnik, the Serb member, was mentioned in a solitary sentence stating that he had criticized the international community for discriminating against Republika Srpska - rather incomplete coverage for a station which claims to represent all of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The London Conference was also covered by HRT (Croatian Radio/TV). All events at the conference were viewed exclusively through the activities of the Croat representatives - Krešimir Zubak and Mate Granic (Dnevnik, December 4). The participation of the other B&H representatives was not even mentioned. As for TV Serbia, a brief statement from Foreign Minister Milutinovic in London merited more attention than the on-going protests in Belgrade.

For now, the media are showing minimal intention of translating their DPA obligations (which were refined in a new package in London) into a form which would be acceptable throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Federation - what's that?

The simmering tension between the entities was briefly superseded by the conflict within the Federation itself. Indeed, the sponsors of the Federation could have been forgiven for losing all hope in the project. That said, they managed to patch together a successful Sarajevo Agreement only two days after stalemate at a Federation Forum meeting in Mostar.

The Bosniac-Croat, or SDA-HDZ conflict, was the predominant theme of Radio B&H's news broadcasts (see table below). The fact that most coverage was negative is a result of the expulsions and difficult position of Bosniacs in west Mostar.

Examples of ethnic cleansing also dominated TV B&H's main news (Dnevnik). It is interesting to note here that both journalists and anchors refrained from identifying the guilty parties. Instead, that was done via statements by the EU's representative in Mostar, Sir Martin Garrod and UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko. Both men held the Croat authorities responsible and stressed the involvement of soldiers of the Croat Defence Council. The unsuccessful Mostar session of the Federation Forum (Dnevnik Dec. 13) merited special attention due to the unwillingness of the Croats even to discuss the on-going expulsions.

Regardless of the gravity of the Mostar incidents, TV B&H refrained from sharp comments and did not incite anti-Croat sentiments. Nevertheless, it is impossible to ignore the fact that this station views events almost exclusively through a Bosniac prism, which it then often identifies with a Bosnian perspective. Indeed, it is gradually acquiring the characteristics of a primarily Bosniac outlet. (All four editors of the main news broadcast are Bosniacs, and some of them, by their choice of topics and manner of interpretation, make this unambiguously clear.)

Radio Herzeg-Bosna made its "contribution" to the spirit of the London Conference by totally ignoring the daily incidents and violence against Bosniacs in Mostar. By contrast, it continued to devote great attention to the threat to Croat students in a village near Tešanj (see Bulletin no. 4). Hence, in its broadcast of Dec. 6 we learn that students from the "school in a tent" wrote a letter to St. Nicholas (on the occasion of the holidays), informing him that the "Moslem authorities are forbidding them to attend classes in the school building". The station also reported on the harassment and eviction of Croats from their apartments in Vareš (Dec. 2). Regarding the problem of establishing cantonal authorities, all blame was laid at the door of the SDA (Dec. 2). On the eve of the unsuccessful Federation Forum session in Mostar, the Radio asserted that "even Kornblum himself succumbed to the Moslem propaganda pressure" (Dec. 12). Krešimir Zubak was quoted as saying that the Croats refuse to allow Mostar to be held up as the worst case study of inter-ethnic political conflict in the Federation, when there are also many examples of obstruction and extremism by the other side (Bugojno, Vareš). The TV show "Herzeg-Bosna Chronicle," broadcast by HRT on channel three and prepared in the Široki Brijeg studio (near Mostar), covered these events in an almost identical manner.

The decorations which Croatian President Franjo Tuðman awarded for valor in the "Summer" and "Storm" offensives of 1995 also received much coverage. Radio Herzeg-Bosna paid special attention to the recognition paid to Tihomir Blaškic and Dario Kordic, both of whom have been indicted for war crimes.

The simmering tension within the Federation was also a key feature of Srpska RTV's news broadcasts. Indeed, Srpska RTV zealously noted every incident or accusation, regardless of which side it comes from. However, this uncharacteristic drive for "impartiality" barely disguised a huge dose of self-satisfaction.

The Secret Life of Form P2

Form P2 is dead, long life form P2!

The Lisbon Conference was supposed to end confusion over the OSCE's role in Bosnia's local elections, scheduled for next year. However, before the conference a memorandum of understanding was signed by the head of the OSCE mission's Banja Luka office on behalf of mission head Ambassador Robert Frowick and RS President Biljana Plavšic. As a result, the suspicion remains that the manner of voting in the local elections will be as open to abuse and manipulation as it was in the national elections last year. The resurrected form P2 enables refugees to vote in places in which they were not living before the war. In effect, this means not only freedom of choice but also a possibility to preserve the results of ethnic cleansing and a painful division line.

Srpska TV carried without its own comment a statement by the OSCE head of mission in Banja Luka that the "P2 form will remain with certain modification, which will enable all Serbs to vote" (News, Dec. 3). Several days later, all SRT news broadcasts noted a statement by a member of the RS delegation at the London conference, Aleksa Buha:

"Refugees will be able to vote wherever they want to in the upcoming local elections, and refugees from the Kninska Krajina will be able to do the same." (Dec. 11)

This was the first time that the possibility of Serbs from Croatia (who fled after operation "Storm" in August 1995) voting in Bosnia's local elections had been raised.

International appeasement of one side often leads to a tempest from the other. Federation media, spearheaded by the press, conducted a real investigation into the secret document signed in Banja Luka. The new life of the P2 form was vilified as part of a conspiracy against the Bosniac people. TV B&H launched an offensive against the odious form for the second time. On several occasions, anchors warned that P2 would legitimize ethnic cleansing and that the OSCE had given in to the Serb side. A member of the Provisional Election Commission, Kasim Begic, was quoted as characterizing the Memorandum as being opposed to Dayton, for one can conclude from some of its provisions that it would enable Serb refugees from Croatia to vote in the local elections in Bosnia (Dec. 14).

Early Media Twilight

Supporters of the "Zajedno" coalition and frustrated students have been staging mass demonstrations in Belgrade for more than a month over the cancellation of local election results in large Serbian towns. These street protests have overshadowed all other events in the countries which emerged out of the former Yugoslavia.

The pro-regime TV Serbia, whose program can also be viewed by audiences in a large part of Bosnia, backed the authorities from the very beginning. In front of both a domestic and international public, the station daily demonstrated its inexhaustible propaganda repertoire, manufacturing its own picture of events. TV Serbia's aim is clearly to minimize the significance and alter the political character of the demonstrations, and if possible, to take away a zero or two from the number of protesters on Belgrade's streets. The station's visual presentation of the demonstrations is also aimed at removing the "electricity" which the protesters generate at their daily marches. News of the demonstrators' peaceful protests is usually placed low on the news agenda, and is covered with carefully chosen TV footage. Pictures usually show the twisted faces of gang leaders or focus on problematic symbols and iconography at the gatherings (this includes portraits of Draža Mihajlovic, the World War II Chetnik leader, and the flags of foreign countries).

Aware of the fragile nature of student support (Student Protest) for the opposition's demands, TV Serbia strongly backs a group of students (Independent Student Movement) who stand for a return to the classroom and abandoning the political struggle (Dnevnik Dec. 10, 11 and 12). Protests over the beating and arrest of the student Dejan Bulatovic (who had been carrying a puppet of Slobodan Miloševic) were "countered" with a statement by the Serbian Justice Ministry that it is not a case of an arrested student, but a butcher! (Dnevnik, Dec. 10). This was probably supposed to appease the situation, though not the beaten boy's bruises.

TV Serbia also tries in every way to compromise opposition leaders' intentions. It asserts that Albanian and Montenegrin separatists walk "arm in arm" with the coalition. A commentary (Dec. 7) said that Albanian nationalist Adem Demaci (who served a 28-year prison term for supporting Kosovo's secession from Yugoslavia) has suddenly "fallen in love" with the Serb people. An extract from Demaci's letter to the demonstrators was quoted: "We, Albanians, are right to love you, the Serb people, as the small-town spirit is disappearing, and a broad, international freedom-loving spirit is being born." Demaci's support for the demonstrators is supposed to represent the biggest insult to the Serb people and be a traitor label on the demonstration leaders' lapel.

As the demonstrations refused to run out of steam, it was time for the Serbian leadership seriously to face the future. The lead item on the main news broadcasts on Dec. 7 and 9 therefore consisted of plans for the future construction of trans-Yugoslav highways linking Yugoslavia with Europe. An 11-minute report (complete with pictures of the Serbian leadership headed by Miloševic) optimistically forecast that tens of thousands of workers of all professions would soon be employed. The future, at least for a while, appeared to be smiling.

TV Serbia's idolatrous attitude towards the ruling party's leader borders on a severe underestimation of its own audience. International messages and reactions to the Belgrade events (from the White House, NATO and the EU) are ignored, or feature as minor items on second-tier news shows. However, one significant exception was made. Warren Christopher's letter was sent out to all media together with Slobodan Miloševic's extensive reply with the Serbian President's request that they be both reported (Dnevnik, Dec. 12).

Christopher's letter was effectively used to open a new "postal line" through which Serbian citizens could send daily, passionate messages of support for President Miloševic's policy (Dnevnik, Dec. 14 and 15). Along with letters signed by "groups of citizens," workers' letters are the most-frequently cited. These are usually in the vein of "miners from Kostolac give their response by working three shifts". After reading other people's letters, editors conclude that "Miloševic's reply to Christopher is seen as a resolute defense of Serbia's sovereignty, and the opposition is accused of kow-towing to foreign countries" (Dnevnik, Dec. 15). TV Serbia tried to convert the issue into national-patriotic contest, counting on the "conditional reflex" of the Serbian public. This was confirmed by a member of the public interviewed by the station who said: "In the beginning I had some sympathy for the opposition, but I was hurt very much when I saw the German flag" (Dnevnik, Dec. 15). Ironically, this statement contained the only bit of support for the demonstrators noted in numerous TV polls of frustrated citizens.

The reaction to Warren Christopher's letter and what the demonstrators and students think about it all -- TV Serbia did not or was not able to say. This was no doubt because a similar postal line is yet to be installed.

The View from the Neighborhood

Events in Belgrade have also been a focus of attention in the Bosnian media. This is understandable since the implementation of the DPA depends greatly on the democratization of political life in neighboring countries. Indeed, Michael Steiner, the deputy High Representative, said something to this effect after meeting with Belgrade students. His visit was reported by the media in Bosnia, but suppressed by RTV Serbia.

TV B&H extensively and regularly reported on the tumultuous events in Serbia, relying primarily on foreign agency news and footage from Eurovision exchange. TV B&H journalists did not engage in wider comments on these events. However, in the main news broadcast of Dec. 14, the journalist compared Miloševic to Pinochet and concluded: "It is not a question of whether Miloševic will leave, but when he will leave." A certain dose of self-satisfaction over Serbia's destabilization did not indicate support for the Belgrade opposition, which is equally disliked.

The uncertainty of the political outcome in "mother" Serbia made for caution and reserve in the coverage of TV Srpska. All key information was presented in a remarkably balanced manner. Some sympathy for the opposition could be sensed in the reporting of TV Srpska's Belgrade correspondent. However, her expectations that workers would join the protests have not yet been fulfilled (News, Dec. 11). Not even RS President Biljana Plavšic's support for political changes in Serbia has shaken Srpska TV's caution. In an interview with TV Srpska (Dec. 10), Biljana Plavšic, once a biology professor herself, said: "When students demonstrate, it is the best indicator that something is not right with freedom and democracy. When I was asked what I would do if I were a professor in Belgrade, I replied I would be together with my students."

I'm interested, I'm not interested . . . partner in Federation

Monitors logged the frequency of primetime news reports on Radio B&H (Sarajevo) and Radio Herzeg-Bosna (Mostar), which refer to the "other side" between Dec. 2 and 15. Although in a professional sense events in the Federation should not be treated through the prism of "this" or "that" side, the reality is very different. Both in terms of territory and media the Federation is divided along clear ethnic lines. Moreover, the two ruling parties, SDA (Bosniac) and HDZ (Croat), exert great influence over the media on the territory which each controls. The column "total number of reports" includes the number of reports broadcast by the radio station about the "other side".

The column "stance" refers to treatment of the "other side" through report content (marked report) and the journalist's and the studio's stance (marked studio/journalist). The result was obtained by the monitors grading positive reports +1 and negative reports -1. Monitors graded reports 0 which consisted of pure information. The same method was used to grade the studio's contribution (report announcement, comment, sign-off).

Radio Herzeg-Bosna broadcast a somewhat higher number of reports and news items from the "other part" of the Federation than Radio B&H (33:25). This is because all federal institutions are based in Sarajevo and their work is carefully covered by this station if and when Croat representatives are involved. As a result, this radio station broadcast 14 reports in this period in a positive context. However, when it comes to reports with a negative slant (15), these referred exclusively to Croat-Bosniac disputes, which are invariably blamed on the "other side". Moreover, the journalists added their own "stamp" to them with a commentary.

Of the 25 reports broadcast on Radio B&H primetime news about the "other side," 21 had a negative slant. They were mostly news items about the expulsion of Bosniacs from Mostar and other conflict situations between Bosniacs and Croats. In half of these reports, journalists added their own critical comments (10 out of 21).

Statistics show that primetime news on both stations were dominated by reports which show the "other side" in a negative light or see it as the only responsible party for the conflict. These statistics did not investigate the political context of the comments nor did they value the motivation and justification for the choice of subjects and journalists' critical stances. The aim was only to point out the general atmosphere created by the media.

Media News in Brief

Representatives of 40 Bosnian media organizations, at a conference held on Dec. 6 and 7 in Zenica with the topic "Media market -- challenge or disaster," called on the authorities of both entities to abolish the political obstacles which keep Bosnia and Herzegovina in a telecommunication blockade. They called on newspaper distributors to open their kiosks for all publications from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The conference concluded that there could be no free journalism or media market without freedom of movement, unhampered flow of information and free press distribution.

Taking part in the conference's work, International Federation of Journalists secretary-general Aidan White agreed with the participants' assessment that media must prepare for a free market, but stressed that the international community's unrelenting support was still necessary.

The conference was organized by the Sarajevo-based Media Plan with support from the National Endowment for Democracy from Washington.

the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) requested that the international community condition assistance to former Yugoslav countries on the respect of human rights and freedom of the press, and to urgently help independent media, its secretary-general, Aidan White, told a news conference in Sarajevo.
(Osloboðenje)

The ONASA news agency launched an Economics Service (Business News), which will broadcast the most topical news of the day from the business lives of Bosnia and the world. ONASA will help exchange information on prices, demand, supply, goods and services throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, reconstruction of facilities, international and domestic loans, bills and projects, information from world stock markets, privatization...

A regular news briefing organized by IFOR, IPTF and the OSCE, scheduled for December 5 in Bosanska Krupa, was not held because more than 100 textile workers from "Amratekst" prevented the arrival of Republika Srpska journalists.

According to a news release by CSB Sarajevo (city police department), Catholic priests Marko Mikic and Predrag Hatibovic were physically assaulted on December 8 in front of the Catholic Theology building.

According to the Catholic News Agency (KTA) of the Bosnian Bishopric Conference, the Archbishopric agreed that the attack was a "result of the continued biased reporting of TV B&H, as well as other Sarajevo media, about events in Mostar." For the expulsion of Bosniacs from Mostar, says the Archbishopric, TVB&H only accuses the Croats and thus incites hatred against an entire people.

The Holding Company Velmos from Mostar accused the Sarajevo tabloid "As" of getting its facts wrong. A press release by the company says "As," in its article of December 6, printed incorrect information about the construction of a "Velmos" cold storage plant and the company's work. However, Velmos' accusations did not stop there.

The newspaper was also blamed for cooperation with a neighboring country's intelligence service, according to the release signed by the company's director, Maid Ljubovic. (Osloboðenje).

According to TV Srpska, RS Information Minister Svjetlana Siljegovic held talks in Pale with UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko and UN liaison officer Jeffrey Bomon. They agreed that in addition to news briefings at Sarajevo airport, regular meetings with journalists would be organized in Pale every week next year. RS representatives expressed their satisfaction that the Serb journalists' requests concerning the choice of meeting place had been met. (SAFAX)

Municipal elections, which are scheduled for 1997, will require increased media supervision according to the OSCE. A media experts' subcommission will start work in Mostar in the coming days.

The public as well as media professionals in the Central Bosnia, Neretva and Western Herzegovina cantons, will be encouraged to file appeals with the Mostar commission. "Appeals can be filed if untrue, incomplete or unfair news reports are noticed. Also in cases of falsification, censorship or wrong presentation. Usage of insulting words in the media is also characterized as a violation of certain rules," OSCE spokesman David Foley told a news briefing. (Dnevni Avaz)

The future of independent media in Bosnia-Herzegovina is fatefully tied to the intentions and prospects of trade unions in general, and in particular to the organization of news outlets into guilds," said an international gathering dubbed "Role of independent journalism and the journalist trade union in democratic process in Bosnia," held in Sarajevo on December 13 and 14. (Osloboðenje)

A statement by the City Board of the HDZ of Sarajevo, released on December 13, among other things, said:

"We wonder with what right Radio-Television calls itself RTV B&H when is stands in the service of only one people with its editorial policy and one-nation structure. Perhaps some foresee the functioning of the joint state under the same model? This is not the Bosnian Croats' television, because Croats have no influence in it, but are being constantly and impudently accused, reproached, always labelled negatively...

One's own problems and incompetence are hushed up, and all blame is put on others. Slander of Croats has acquired such dimensions that only one step remains before a call for lynch, for expulsion..."

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

(c) Copyright: The Institute for War and Peace Reporting 1996

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