The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and the UNS in Kosovo are demanding that the Draft Law on Kosovo Public Service be withdrawn from the procedure, as it foresees the abolition of guaranteed funding for the Second Channel of Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK2 - the Serbian language channel), reported Serbian media in Kosovo.
Members of the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its branch in Kosovo (DNKiM) accompanied by Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu placed on Friday a memorial plaque dedicated to their missing colleagues, Radio Pristina journalists, Djura Slavuj and Ranko Perenic for the eighth time, KoSSev portal reports.
The memorial plaque was placed where the two journalists were last seen in August 1998 in the village of Zociste, near Velika Hoca.
On the occasion of the International Press Freedom Day, May 3, Association of Journalists of Serbia in Kosovo will organize a gathering in front of an art installation MISSING in Gracanica to point out to the unresolved murders and kidnappings, attacks and pressure against journalists and the media, KIM Radio reports.
The Association recalled that the pressure and attacks against journalists in Kosovo and Metohija continued over the last year.
The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and the Association of Journalists of Kosovo and Metohija (DNKiM) again urge Pristina to stop restricting the rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo to the information on their mother tongue and to urgently ensure unhindered distribution of the print media. These associations point out that, unlike other products, print media on the market are irreplaceable goods, especially given the fact that no daily or weekly newspaper in the Serbian language is printed in Kosovo, reports Serbian media in Kosovo.
“It is the worst when journalists stop talking about their own victims, then it is the end of everything. Fortunately, in Kosovo is not the case. We will talk, ask and continue our pursuit until the institutions start treating cases of murders, assaults and persecution of journalists separately,” Chairperson of the Association of Journalists of Serbia in Kosovo, Budimir Nicic said, KIM Radio reported.
The media in Kosovo are faced with politicization, non-implementation of laws by institutions and intimidation of journalists, with an increase in self-censorship, according to the association of journalists.
Association of Journalists of Serbia in Kosovo (UNS) protested today because the EU Office did not provide translation in Serbian language for the media representatives attending the presentation of a report on LGBTI community and their rights in Pristina, KIM Radio reports today.
UNS further stated the event was organized by Centre for Social and Group Development, while the EU Office in Kosovo invited the media to cover the event one hour before it started.
An annual assembly of the Association of Journalists of Serbia in Kosovo was held yesterday in Gracanica, Serbian media reported.
Participants discussed about the issues journalists in Kosovo are facing, and one of them, according to the participants is non-cooperation of the Srpska Lista with some media outlets in Kosovo, KIM Radio further reported.
Annual report and guidance for the forthcoming period were also discussed.
“It is necessary to establish a commission that would deal with investigations of missing and murdered journalists in Kosovo, the President of the Association of Journalists of Serbia in Kosovo, Budimir Nicic said at the roundtable on the freedom of the media and safety of journalists, RTV Puls reported.
Nicic reminded participants of the roundtable, organized in Pristina yesterday that Serbia and Montenegro have established such commissions and they yield results, while certain court proceedings were launched thanks to that results.
Serb media in Kosovo reported that the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) together with its branch registered in Kosovo, yesterday strongly protested over the decision of the Kosovo Chief Prosecutor Office to exclude and disable participation of Serbian media representatives at the roundtable on criminal acts against journalists.