A split in the Montenegrin ruling party (DPS) to the pro-reform and the dogmatic wing, as well as the victory of the former in the parliamentary elections held in May 1998, contributed to the milder political climate in Montenegro and to more comfortable position of the independent media. Although greater efforts and pressures are needed to democratise the current government and to introduce essential transitional process in Montenegro, it is absolutely obvious that the old times won't return and the period of repression and rigid attitudes towards NGOs, in which we also include the independent media - has gone (at least for the time being). Unless, of course, the radical national-socialistic political wing of the former president Bulatovic (actual federal Prime Minister) supported by the federal president Slobodan Milosevic, returns to power replacing current coalition government.

Apart from the state-owned television and radio and the daily POBJEDA, there is a small, but very effective group of independent and private media in Montenegro: independent daily VIJESTI, weekly MONITOR, monthly review ONOGOST STANDARD, local radio stations ANTENA M and MONTENA, and three local TV stations, SKY SAT, BLUE MOON and ELMAG. Among these media, the daily VIJESTI and the weekly MONITOR have the biggest influence.

On April 1, after just 18 months of publishing, VIJESTI had a record circulation of 26,000 copies, (Montenegro has only 650,000 inhabitants) which is twice as big as the most optimistic plans had predicted. The following facts can best describe the results achieved in this period:

Since its launching in january 1997, the first Montenegrin independent daily VIJESTI started the joint projects with MONITOR, the first iMontenegrin ndependent weekly, aimed at providing common print facilities. The print shop Roto Slog was founded as a joint company of the following founders and owners:

1. Daily press (the media company issuing VIJESTI), with 60% of shares;

2. Montenegropublic (the media company issuing MONITOR), with 20% of shares;

3. Slog, private print shop, with 20% of shares.

The New York based Media Development Loan Fund (Soros Foundation) immediately gave $220,000 for providing the rotating printing press. The Roto Slog company was assigned as the receiver of the loan (i.e. the three founders in a proportion corresponding to their shares in the ownership). The loan is still being paid back, in regular terms and with regular rates.

Limited funds restricted its capacity and quality. With growing of VIJESTI, MONITOR, and by re-alocation of a few independent papers from Serbia into Montenegro in autumn last year, the printing plant could not satisfy the market requirements neither in capacity nor in quality.

The daily VIJESTI

The editorial policy of VIJESTI is based on the commitments to the basic principles of modern society: civil and multi-ethnic concept, liberal economy, privatisation, anti-war and civilised treatment of conflicts, and joining European integration processes.

VIJESTI has been published on 20 pages so far, with occasional supplements on 4 pages, in Latinics and using two colours in the printing process.

The circulation of VIJESTI is quite high for the Montenegrian circumstances: 26,000 sold copies represent 4% of the country’s population, and bearing in mind that one copy is read by 3-4 persons (family members) the readership reaches around 15% of the enitre population (in comparison to Swiss circumstances it would mean readership of 900,000). Still, it is not sufficient to provide sustainability of the paper and it stays for a time being on the level of managing to cover ist expenses, but not obtaining estra money needed for a development.

The main problems and obstacles that prevent paper from standing on ist own are as follows:

The weekly MONITOR

The independent weekly Monitor was founded in 1990, as one of the first independent media in the ex-Yugoslavia. During the political coalition of the Montenegrin and Serbian regimes, MONITOR’s journalists were many times sentenced and its offices were twice attacked with hand grenades. This weekly often reported on war crimes committed in the Balkan Wars in this decade, on the problem of ethnic minorities human rights both in Montenegro and Serbia and the responsibility of political elites. With the editorial policy fully devoted to values of democracy, open and multiethnic society and respect for human rights, MONITOR gained high reputation throughout the area of the former Yugoslavia, as well as it is one of the internationally the most respected media from the area.

MONITOR employs 15 full-time journalists, one photo-reporter, two computer experts, a graphic editor and a secretary. It is owned by shareholders. The main shareholders are Mr. Miodrag Perovic, Stanislav Koprivica and Monitor’s full-time journalists.

Expending and modernisation of the existing print facilities are necessary precondition for fulfilment of the following:

• Doubling of print capacities which will enable fulfilment of own development plans. E.g. by the end of the year, it is planned to increase the scope and the contents of VIJESTI to 32 pages. Every Saturday, threw will also be a 12-page supplement, thematically and analytically treating the week's events.
• In a case that one print-machine is out of order, the print of VIJESTI and MONITOR could continue using the other one and would not need (as it is a case now) to pay for extremely expensive print facilities of the state-owned paper POBIJEDA.
• Possibilities to get new arrangements to print other papers – beside Dan (which has already been prineted in Roto Slog) also Serbian papers Vecernje novosti and Blic announced to print their circulation for Montenegro – and get extra incomes, needed for sustainability of VIJESTI and MONITOR.
• To attract more customers by offering better prices for printing other papers than the state-owned printing house of the daily POBIJEDA and thus to increase financies provided by own.Color print facilities would improve graphic design of VIJESTI and MONITOR and thus increase marketing incomes as companies prefer to give advertisements to papers printed in full color.