Political consensus on media corruption through misuse of the European flag in the Parliament

We, the professional journalistic organizations and civil associations from the media sector in Macedonia, are categorically opposed to the attempts to return state advertising in the media before the elections, carried out through a shortened procedure and by abusing the European flag. We are talking about a Draft Law for amending and supplementing the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, following an abbreviated procedure, which is on second reading in the Parliament. We are alarmed that the planned amendment to this law represents a serious violation of the basic democratic processes through which the role and independence of the media and the media regulator are threatened.

Problems in this unfortunate legal solution that we point out are:

Party influence and dependence on the media: the introduction of state campaigns in the media, especially in a pre-election context, can be interpreted as an attempt at party bribery and the creation of dependence on the media, which seriously compromises their independence and media pluralism, and thus the electoral process that follows.

Disruption of the media market and the European integration processes: the misuse of the European flag and the application of a shortened procedure for changing media laws avoids the necessary parliamentary debate, violating the principles of accountability and transparency and avoiding party influence.

Ignored criticism from experts and international organizations: media experts and international organizations have repeatedly expressed serious objections to the proposed legal amendments, evaluating them as out of sync with EU directives and harmful to the media landscape and public interest in Macedonia.

Unconstitutionality of the proposed amendments: some of the proposed amendments are in direct conflict with the basic constitutional rights to freedom of expression and information, creating unequal market conditions for different types of media and undermining the principles of equality and transparency.

Because of this, we demand the immediate withdrawal of the proposed legal amendments and appeal to the political parties to take into account our remarks and warnings. We believe that it is high time to establish a Media Pluralism Fund, which would support quality journalism and diverse program production in opposition to state advertising that serves as a tool for political influence and control, as well as to consider other proposed possibilities such as the tax exemption for journalists and media workers.

The proposed solutions we are advocating for would enable financial support of the media without the influence of political agendas, ensuring balance and support for independent and objective reporting, which is essential for a healthy democracy and public awareness, while also opening up the possibility of establishing mechanisms to guarantee that the funds will be used to improve both the quality of journalism and the socio-economic condition of media professionals.

Association of Journalists of Macedonia (АЈM)

Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM)

Council for Ethics in the Media of Macedonia (SEMM)

Macedonian Media Institute (MIM)

Institute for Social Development Research (RESIS)

Institute for Communication Studies (ICS)

Center for Media Development (CRM)