Journalists Defending Integrity: A Serious Step Forward is Needed!

Post-election media actions, journalistic integrity, objective reporting during elections, and the need for capacity-building in journalism were key topics at today’s event held as part of Media Literacy Week, organized by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

The event was opened by Mladen Chadikovski, President of AJM, who addressed the state of the media in Macedonia, the challenges journalists face, and the need for additional journalist training through the AJM Training Academy.

“There is no quality information without economic security, journalist safety, and continuous training. But all of this will be in vain if we don’t have quality newsrooms, relevant topics, and investigative journalism. That’s why we must work on these key factors,” said Chadikovski.

Joana Kozma, representative of IFES, emphasized the importance of transparency in the electoral process and the crucial role of journalists.

“This plays a vital role in any democracy and society, but it is not enough. Another important segment in this process is what happens between elections because it is necessary to monitor government actions, and the media are key in this process,” Kozma stated.

The event was structured into two sessions:

🔹 Session 1: Upholding Integrity in Journalism – Ensuring Accountability in Monitoring Government Policies
Panelists included Sashka Cvetkovska (IRL), Vasko Popetrevski (360 Degrees), Ana Petrusheva (BIRN), and Miomir Serafinović (TV Telma). They discussed the challenges of modern journalism, highlighting issues such as:

Lack of interest from young journalists in the profession

• Declining quality of information presented by some media outlets
• Increase in online media platforms during election campaigns
• Low salaries and poor professional standards in some media
• The growing presence of PR-driven content, ordered by centers of power

🔹 Session 2: The AJM Training Academy – A Driving Force for Strengthening Media Workers’ Capacities
Speakers included Lazar Sandev, who discussed the legal aspects of journalist training, Marina Tuneva, who focused on the ethical dimension of journalist education, and Besim Nebiu, who spoke about enhancing professionalism through specialized journalist training.

The event reaffirmed the urgent need for improving journalistic integrity and accountability through structured training and support. A strong media sector is essential for a well-functioning democracy, and initiatives like this serve as a foundation for a more resilient and responsible press.

Photo: Tomislav Georgiev