By In light of the reactions prompted by yesterday’s reporting from Zeta by Aleksandar Radović, a journalist for RTCG, regarding the event “Days of Zeta’s Cakes and Priganica,” we were requested to inform the public of the perspective from “the other side,” specifically from colleague Radović. His explanation, provided yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, is relayed here in full:
“My interviewee, the Director of the Zeta Municipality Tourist Organization, appeared a few minutes before our live segment and asked, ‘Did you call me yesterday?’
I replied, ‘Yes.’
Then she asked, ‘And did you call me the day before the concert?’
I responded that I had indeed called her, including that morning, and found it odd she hadn’t replied, as it seemed logical that she would be my interviewee.
However, she then stated it was her day off and that we should have informed her earlier. I replied that, given this is the Zeta Tourist Organization’s event of the year, I thought it was reasonable for her to take calls from journalists during business hours the day before. But I also added that she was under no obligation to speak to me if she didn’t wish to. She then responded that she wouldn’t, though she ultimately agreed to stand next to me on camera at the last moment.
You may have seen or can view the broadcast. I made a lighthearted remark regarding the choice of singer. However, the problematic and most significant moment came afterward when she asked me:
‘So, that’s how you operate? Are you staying longer to film?’
I answered, ‘Yes,’ simply to hear what she would say next.
She then said, ‘Alright, film whatever you planned, and afterward, we’ll talk!’
As a seasoned journalist who has been through a lot, I interpreted that statement as a direct threat. What exactly she meant, I can only guess, but I wondered how she or someone else intended to ‘talk’ to me or ‘teach’ me journalism.
We immediately left. All of this occurred in front of RTCG’s driver and cameraman as witnesses. Today, I have been inundated with messages not only from Montenegro but also from across the region, with 99% of them being supportive. I now worry that political influence and pressure will once again bring punishment from my workplace, RTCG, and I feel concerned and stressed. I hope that those in charge will resist these pressures. Regardless, it is my duty to address the Media Union so that all journalists can work freely in the future, adhering to professional ethics without fear of political pressure.”
The SMCG takes this opportunity to remind everyone, while politicians continue to construct narratives and call for punishment, of Article 11, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the National Public Broadcaster Law, which emphasizes journalists’ independence: “Journalists and other employees involved in the creation of Public Media Service content are independent in their work and operate in the public interest.
Employees under Paragraph 1 cannot be dismissed, have their salaries reduced, their status changed within the newsroom, or be held accountable for an opinion or stance expressed in accordance with professional standards and program rules.”
We also remind that issues of ethics fall under the Ombudsman’s purview, a position the Public Service persistently lacks, and that the Public Service Council cannot assume the Ombudsman’s role nor impose sanctions based on reporting style. Additionally, since April, when an unlawful Code of Ethics was adopted, the Public Service has failed to establish an Ethics Committee that could handle questions of disciplinary responsibility.
