Podgorica, (MINA) – Existence of a single self-regulator, comprised of all media scene stakeholders and with clearly envisaged term, obligations and responsibilities, would be a good first step towards introduction of order in the Montenegrin media, said president of the Association of Journalists of Montenegro Goran Cetkovic.
He told Mina that mere existence of a self-regulator would not bring improvements, as was already proved earlier.
“Establishing of a self-regulator should be followed by a series of other activities which would be directed towards empowering of that body, above all empowering of the news associations”, said Cetkovic.
He believes that such body could be formed only through direct agreement of the existing press associations, and that it must have power to impose sanctions for journalists who do not respect its rules.
Asked if the existing Journalists’ Code of Ethics sufficiently defines the rights and obligations of the journalists, he responded that the Code is the least problem regarding media scene.
“The Code is not a problem. We have been for many years now trying to implement the system of self-regulation, without some more tangible success. Huge amounts of money are invested in creating the ambience in which self-regulation would exist”, said Cetkovic.
He claims that all self-regulators which existed previously did not justify their forming and existence, since the stakeholders who delegated their members did not have enough will, or desire to make a body that would work in the interest of implementation of self-regulation, but only in their partial interests.
This text is produced with the financial support of the European Union, through the project of Dealing with Ethics and Fake News, reference number IPA2018/397-252. The content is the exclusive responsibility of the Mina news agency and does not necessarily reflect the positions of the EU. The text may be distributed provided that its source is duly credited.
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