AJM with specific proposals for the public broadcasting service at the first public session of the MRT Program Council

It is necessary to guarantee the financial and political independence of MRT through legal amendments, to strengthen the public service with new employment and a wider correspondent network, to renew the ethical framework with a new Code, and to invest in digitalization and modern technologies, including artificial intelligence. These were some of the points raised by AJM during the first public session of the MRT Program Council. The meeting, held on September 4th, included representatives of journalists associations and media organizations, and was also attended by the President of AJM, Mladen Čadikovski, and the Executive Director, Dragan Sekulovski.

The President of AJM welcomed the initiative of the Program Council to create space for transparency and the inclusion of media organizations, emphasizing that this is of exceptional importance for improving the state of the public service. He also pointed out the need to ensure the continuity of MRT’s financial and political independence through appropriate legislative amendments.

“MRT has a serious need for new employment, especially of young and professional staff, as well as for the permanent engagement of existing correspondents in order to cover topics of local public interest. In addition, editorial and journalistic ethics must be strengthened through a new Code of Ethics, and independence must be guaranteed with specific acts,” emphasized Čadikovski.

AJM expressed its readiness to cooperate with the Program Council in adopting a new strategic plan to increase citizens’ trust.

“The reports of the European Commission, as well as ODIHR, clearly highlight the importance of public services and also point out certain shortcomings in the work of MRT. Furthermore, some of these reports stress the need to adjust the legal framework in line with new acts of the European Parliament, such as the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Therefore, MRT requires a special law dedicated solely to the public service, in accordance with these new standards, which will guarantee the independence and professionalism of MRT,” said the Director of AJM, Dragan Sekulovski.

It is expected that, in the future, there will be more frequent meetings for consultations and cooperation on specific topics with the MRT Program Council. Even prior to this session, AJM had already submitted concrete proposals regarding the work of this medium.

During the meeting, members of the Council emphasized that AJM remains a strategic partner they can rely on in the future.