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IWPR & MEDIA PLAN
MONITORING REPORT
22 January 1997: Vol II/ No 7
The B&H Media Fortnight in Review: 6
- 19 January
This bulletin focuses on:
- Brcko: Media evocations of war
- Continuing demonstrations in Belgrade TV
- B&H's slant on Bošnjak-Croat
relations
- Media in the news
A question for Sir Martin Garrod, Head, OHR
Regional Office in Mostar
There is no freedom of movement for local
journalists from one side of this still-divided city to the
other. Reporters complain that they have no access to some
important sources of information. Their safety is threatened,
even in the Hotel Ero, the building housing the OHR's regional
headquarters in west Mostar.
Dear Sir Martin,
What, specifically, will you do to enable journalists in
Mostar to do their jobs in safety? Can you, in addition, exert
influence upon the city authorities to permit journalists to have
access to all important sources of information?
Monitoring Report
Still waiting for Spasoje Albijanic
Communications in the B&H Council of
Ministers, has promised to reply in writing - and in time for o
According to our Banja Luka correspondent, Spasoje Albijanic,
Minister for Civil Affairs and ur next issue - to the question
posed in the 8 January number of Monitoring Report: Why do
telephonic links between the two entities remain broken and what
will you, personally, be doing to eliminate the communications
blockade?
Brcko: Warfare deferred
The propaganda war for Brcko, the city on the
River Sava whose post-Dayton destiny is meant to be resolved by
binding arbitration, has occasionally dampened down, but it has
never ceased to smoulder in the media. In the last few weeks, as
the mid-February date for the delivery of the arbitration verdict
has drawn near, the rhetorical fires blazed up once more, and
with them evocations of war. Some media seemed to wax almost
nostalgic in their wartime memories. An aggressive propaganda
campaign was mounted by politicians and soldiers, all attributing
to this small if strategically-sited city a critical and, indeed,
an almost millenial significance.
The sittings of the arbitration tribunal in Rome were covered by
special correspondents sent by the public broadcast media in
B&H. It was a case of reporting "around the event"
rather than "about the event", since the arbitration
rules prohibited the contending parties from making public
statements about the proceedings and their arguments. The rival
media compensated for this handicap in the same way: they
replaced facts with assurances that right and justice were,
without question, "on our side".
Most B&H media treated the Brcko arbitration - and it was the
story that eclipsed all others in recent weeks - in a manner
which sought to preclude any possibility of compromise, and which
identified any thought of a partial solution as treason.
Overdosing on patriotism, the media deprived themselves of their
ability to think rationally about this overheated and overly
politicised issue. It seemed, however, that the main messages
were only nominally directed at domestic constituencies. The real
addressee was the international community.
As the date of the arbiters' decision approaches, the mood of the
B&H media is swinging about - and all responsibility is being
shifted unreservedly to the international actors. Whatever chief
arbiter Roberts Owen's deferred solution may be, it will provoke
a storm. In this context it is notable that the media in B&H
hardly mention the fact that, according to the Dayton treaty, the
decision of the tribunal will be final, with no right of appeal.
SRT: From threats to relief
Srpska Radio-Television has covered the Brcko
story almost obsessively over the past month. It has broadcast
the pronouncements of the highest military and civilian officials
day in and day out, and on a few occasions has also offered its
own commentaries (19 and 29 December). The network broadcast
Momcilo Krajisnik's statement to Srpsko Oslobošenje that
"Brcko is the common denominator for everything that is
Serbian" (7 January). It was no accident that the main
celebration of the RS "statehood and patron saint's
day" was held in the city on 9 January, nor that the event
was broadcast live throughout RS. The message of this gathering
was condensed in the words of Biljana Plavšic: "I want
to state clearly that Brcko is Serbian and must remain
Serbian."
The purpose of such a well-orchestrated campaign was to
demonstrate complete national and political unity on this matter.
That was confirmed by the declaration of the Serbian Intellectual
Forum (10 January) and by the statements of the opposition and
non-parliamentary parties (13 January). Srpska TV also carried,
on the 13 January edition of "Novosti", a newly ominous
warning by President Plavšic: "Whoever is not ready to
sacrifice Dayton, must not touch Serbian Brcko." The next
day there followed the message of Chief of Staff Pero Colic:
"Any solution for Brcko other than keeping it Serbian would
lead to war, and we would defend ourselves with all means and to
the last man."
All the RS statements emphasised that the city of Brcko was not
itself the object of contention. Rather, according to the Serb
reading of the Dayton agreement, it is the course of the
Inter-Entity Boundary Line to the south of the city which is
being arbitrated. SRT's correspondent in Rome reminded the home
audience of this in his first despatch: "A conference
regarding the widening of the corridor near Brcko started today
in Rome" ("Novosti", 8 January). Even if this was
more confusing than enlightening to viewers, most of the reports
that followed made the predictable claim that the Serb case was
not being treated equitably. Arbiter Roberts Owen was criticised
for allowing a "Muslim TV crew", against the rules, to
have access to the conference room, as well as for hearing the
first RS witness only on the sixth day of the tribunal
("Novosti", 13 January). At the same time, SRT attached
no importance to the representatives of the Federation, as if RS
were not in conflict with them, but rather with the international
community. On 15 January "Novosti"'s presenter
announced that "Brcko definitely remains an integral part of
RS," citing unnamed but "well informed sources in
Rome." Over the next few days SRT's newscasts avoided both
triumphalism and threats.
RTV B&H: Times Roman
RTV B&H's main newscasts gave plenty of air
time to a variety of alarums and excursions surrounding the issue
of the day: the fate of Brcko. Party leaders were canvassed and
the political runes were read.
An aggressive statement by Ejup Ganic was broadcast by TV
B&H's "Dnevnik" on 6 January: "Insofar as the
Brcko question is transformed from a legal into a political
issue, then that problem will be resolved in a different manner,
after the departure of the international forces from Bosnia.
Militarily, we are growing stronger and stronger..." The
next day "Dnevnik" gave prominence to Alija
Izetbegovic's invitation to Sarajevo Serbs now living in Brcko to
return home, but this proposal disappeared from the media horizon
over succeeding days.
The news broken by Reuters that US Under Secretary of State John
Kornblum had "recommended" in a policy paper that Brcko
should go to RS was met with disbelief, but also with prompt
reactions by Bošnjak politicians and media. On 15 January
"Dnevnik" carried Haris Silajdzic's assertion that such
a development "would mean the end of the Dayton
agreement." The next day the ruling party's spokesman, Ismet
Grbo, told "Dnevnik" that "the SDA has the energy
and the intelligence to react if a decision is made contrary to
justice..." Radio B&H, for its part, broadcast an angry
editorial on the afternoon "Dnevnik" of 18 January in
which it compared the arbitration in Rome to the proceedings in
an ancient Roman arena where slaves were compelled to fight wild
beasts. Now, however, "the slaves are the Bošnjaks who,
if they are disobedient, can easily be thrown into the toothy
jaws of the Serb artillery."
RTV B&H had sent a special correspondent to Rome. Obviously
not up to the job, the reporter substituted agit-prop for
observation and interpretation. In one despatch he stated
categorically that a newly submitted Serb document on Brcko had
come, "of course, too late" for consideration, but then
proceeded to dissect it (11 January). Some of his reports were
filled with pathetic and unnecessary allegories: "So, there
is no dilemma here, everything is crystal clear, and in our
history books it will be written forever which road the world
took at the Brcko tribunal: into the light or into the dark"
(12 January). This correspondent also often insisted that the
Serbs had no arguments, thereby supporting his own optimistic
forecasts.
TV B&H concluded its coverage of the arbitration tribunal
with a special programme entitled "Roman days". The
repetition of its reporter's despatches from Rome served only to
make their weaknesses more obvious.
Croatian Radio Hercegbosna:
Without euphoria
Radio Hercegbosna also showed considerable interest in the
arbitration proceedings in Rome. The subject of Brcko was
introduced, however, in a somewhat unusual manner on 6 January:
with Biljana Plavšic's statement that a "wrong"
decision on Brcko would mark the end of Dayton. Over subsequent
days Radio Hercegbosna regularly broadcast reports from its
correspondent in the Croat municipality of Ravne-Brcko, who was
in direct contact with Rome. His interpretation of the tribunal
followed the official line of the Croat members of the Federation
delegation. The necessity of establishing a protectorate over the
city was emphasised, both as the long established Croat demand
and as the most just solution. Coverage of the Rome hearings
concluded on 15 January with the news that Krešimir Zubak
had received the Croat delegation members on their return, and
with the statement of one of them, Ravne-Brcko Mayor Mijo Anic,
that "a compromise had been reached". According to
Anic, "Brcko under a protectorate is for us the only
acceptable variant." It was evident that this medium did
not, unlike most electronic media in B&H, succumb to the
temptation to engage in euphoric agitation on the subject of
Brcko.
The view from the neighbourhood
Croatia's HRT offered extensive coverage of the
sessions of the arbitration tribunal in its newscasts.
"Dnevnik" on 7 January carried Ejup Ganic's statement
that "Brcko must belong to the Federation. Bošnjaks and
Croats were the majority in Brcko until the war..." Even
before the end of the Rome meeting, "Dnevnik" revealed
on 14 January that "a ten-year-long international
administration under American sponsorship" would be
established for Brcko.
HRT hinted at rather than argued for a tripartite partition of
the Brcko municipality. As "Dnevnik" noted on 15
January, "It is important that Brcko belongs to the
Federation, because that will open up the possibility of a
greater return by Croats to Posavina, and there are also some
views that it should be divided into three parts."
TV Serbia's continuing lack of interest in B&H was confirmed
by the Rome tribunal. TVS did not broadcast a single news item
about the proceedings in its prime-time "Dnevnik". It
was also silent about the summons from Srpska TV to the
leadership in Belgrade to play its proper part - as a signatory
and guarantor of the Dayton treaty - in resolving the Brcko
issue. Was this reticence an illustration of Belgrade's lack of
concern for the "Serbian cause", or an attempt to avoid
adding one more explosive problem to the bundle which bear the
"fingerprints" of President Miloševic?
TV Serbia: In the bunker
The Yugoslav dinar may escape devaluation for a
time, but public confidence in TV Serbia has already collapsed as
the network has made itself the regime's first and last line of
defence. Popular odium for the state TV's grotesque news
offerings has provoked both physical and mental resistance. The
deafening noise of pots and pans being beaten that resounds
through Belgrade every evening during "Dnevnik" is a
novel form of television criticism, but only one in a series of
original devices embraced by students and citizens to protest the
annulment of the results of last November's local elections. This
would-be festival of democracy on the capital's streets is either
ignored by TV Serbia or filmed to provide ammunition for the
vilification of opposition party leaders.
The most frequent target of attack continues to be Vuk
Draškovic. The spectacular celebration of the Serb Orthodox
New Year in Belgrade was, for TV Serbia, interesting above all
for the appearance of a "conflict" between the students
Draškovic. For three days (14-16 January), TV Serbia
repeated continuously that Draškovic had called the students
"idiots". No one having chosen to bite this proffered
apple of discord, TVS resumed its search for incriminating
evidence. On the 19 January edition of "Dnevnik"
Draškovic was accused of attempting to mount a coup d'etat.
This allegation was documented by a sound bite in which
Draškovic was heard to say, "We have to form a
provisional government as soon as possible. We have to arrest the
JUL leadership overnight."
TV Serbia provides extensive coverage of events all over the
world. But it consistently omits any reference to the repeated
injunctions by the EU, the OSCE and other international bodies
for the results of the November elections to be respected. The
demonstrations at home, meantime, are portrayed as a part of the
great international conspiracy against Serbia. According to
"Dnevnik" (9 January), everything is happening
according to a scenario entitled "Cerebral Storm", a
war plan prepared by the authors of "Desert Storm". The
difference this time is that the aim is to provoke civil war
inside a single country. According to "Dnevnik" on 10
January, such an inference is supported by the fact that
"the pictures from Sofia closely resemble those from
Belgrade."
An attack on the rector of Priština University provided
another opportunity for TV Serbia to accuse the opposition of
anti-Serbianism. "Every day that the demonstrations in
Belgrade are prolonged means new victims in Kosovo." This
was the message from a protest meeting of Serbs and Montenegrins
in Priština to which state TV devoted exceptional coverage
on 18 January.
TVS has now also introduced the criterion of political
suitability in its reporting of church affairs, especially since
the Orthodox synod publicly criticised the regime - although this
fact was unreported by state TV. Appearances by Patriarch Pavle
and other dignitaries are being either strictly rationed or
completely ignored. On the other hand, clerics whose views are at
odds with those of the hierarchy merit lavish coverage. On 18
January "Dnevnik" reported that Bishop Irinej of Backa
had refused to receive representatives of the student protesters
on Christmas Eve. The same newscast cited the statement by
Metropolitan Jovan of Ljubljana, Zagreb and Italy to Politika:
"Demonstrations are negative, they mean destruction."
By the next day "Dnevnik"'s TV crew had arrived to
visit Metropolitan Jovan in Trieste.
TV B&H: Belying one's name
In view of ever more frequent complaints by
Croat clerics and politicians that TV B&H both fails to
reflect Croatian national interests and, in fact, incites hatred
of Croats, the B&H Independent Union of Professional
Journalists asked Media Plan to carry out a special monitoring
assignment. From 1 November through 31 December 1996, monitors
tracked TV B&H's most watched newscast, "Dnevnik",
with the aim of assessing the impact which its reporting might
have on viewers' attitudes towards Croats and their leaders in
B&H. The complete report was published in three instalments
by Oslobošenje between 18 and 20 January 1997. Here we will cite
only the more important findings. TV B&H devotes considerable
attention to Bošnjak-Croat relations in general, and to the
problems of the Federation in particular, in its main newscast.
"Dnevnik" carried 136 relevant items during the period
under review: that is, an average of two in every broadcast. Most
items appeared in the first half of the programme and often led
the newscast. The following themes were identified (with number
of appearances):
- Incidents of conflict or contention (69)
The roles of Croat leaders in B&H and Federation (33)
Refugees and DPs (3)
History and culture (1)
Religion (8)
Life in Croat majority areas (2)
War and the Bošnjak-Croat conflict (7)
Croatia and the Croats of B&H (3)
Protocol activities (10)
The predominance of stories about contention or conflict
between Croats and Bošnjaks (69) is evident. These reports
related especially to the expulsion of Bošnjaks from Mostar
and to the obstacles encountered in establishing common
institutions in this city, as well as to the pilot projects for
the return of refugees to Bugojno (Croats), Stolac
(Bošnjaks) and Jajce (Bošnjaks). These reports clearly
made it appear that the Croatian side alone bore responsibility
for the problems and conflicts in the two nations' bilateral
relations.
Thirty-three items dealt with the work of the Federation and the
formation of all-B&H institutions. Most of these reports
concerned breaking news. It was notable, however, that Croat
representatives were rarely to be heard among the politicians and
functionaries who appeared to explain questions crucial to the
operation of the Federation. On the other hand, the comments of
both Croat and Bošnjak leaders were carried by
"Dnevnik" following important meetings of federal
organs. It appeared that TV B&H editors consider the problems
of Mostar and refugees to be the issues critical to the
functioning of the Federation, and that they do not want to stir
up controversies over other open questions. As the figures show,
"Dnevnik" showed far less interest in all other themes.
Almost all reports were based on only one source. In the majority
of cases that source was either TV B&H's own reporter (78) or
a source close to the Bošnjak side (24). Official
international or federal sources were cited much less often (7
and 6 times respectively). News agencies were quoted on 14
occasions, and other sources were used 13 times. Sources close to
the Croat side were cited on only six occasions.
TV B&H permits the harshest criticism of the state of affairs
in west Mostar - and accusations of culpability against the HDZ
and HVO - to be expressed by foreigners: Sir Martin Garrod (OHR),
Alexander Ivanko (UN) and Chris Janowski (UNHCR). The journalists
play up their remarks, but do not often offer their own
commentaries.
The largest number of news items (99) did not carry any sort of
authorial stamp. In 33 cases, however, TV B&H journalists
offered their own critical - and often a priori - views on
developments in Croat-Bošnjak relations, either in the
introductions to or in the bodies of their pieces. Their comments
were, almost without exception, consonant with the positions of
Bošnjak politicians and, in cases of conflict, they
attributed sole responsibility to "the Croat side". On
the other hand, only four news items could be characterised as
explicit rooting for the Bošnjak team.
Monitors observed no instances when TV B&H reporters employed
either hateful terminology or otherwise insulted the national
feelings and civil rights of Croats. In assessing the basic
impressions which news items might be expected to create among
viewers, monitors considered that most (68) were negative in tone
and content, somewhat fewer (53) were neutral and that only 15
were openly affirmative of Croats or Croat positions. The number
of negative items (68) was thus almost identical to the number of
thematic reports on situations of conflict (69). This fact tends
to reinforce the conclusion that a process of negative selection
of information is in operation, and that the dominant impressions
with which such reports are likely to leave viewers are of Croat
intransigence, selfishness and bloody-mindedness.
Items without a particular national-political colouring (53)
comprised for the most part news about the work of federal
organs, reports on religious traditions in the run-up to
Christmas and assorted protocol events.
Following this two-month long exercise, Media Plan concludes the
following about TV B&H's central "Dnevnik":
- The programme's editors and reporters do not always
respect professional criteria and standards in covering
contentious issues in Bošnjak-Croat relations, in
dealing with the problems of the Federation and in
following other stories affecting Croat national
interests. A negative selection of news prevails, with
editors preferring to concentrate on instances of
conflict rather than on other developments. They rely on
a small number of sources and appear to select them
according to their political acceptability.
- An analysis of "Dnevnik" offers no support to
the thesis that TV B&H aims to promote either
distrust or hatred of Croats. However, thanks largely to
the prevalence of negative selection criteria and the
often obvious identification of its journalists with a
single political option and nation, TV B&H is failing
adequately to represent equally the interests of other
nations and to support the restoration of mutual
confidence. This impression is reinforced by the fact
that all "Dnevnik"'s editors and most of its
reporters are Bošnjaks.
- On the basis of both the content and direction of its
central newscast, it is apparent that Television Bosnia
& Hercegovina is not living up to its name.
A Report by MEDIA PLAN and IWPR;
Project Director: Zoran UdoviCic Obala Kulina bana 4/I,
71000 Sarajevo, B&H Tel/Fax 071-667-734/735
(c) Copyright: The Institute for War
and Peace Reporting 1996
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