Syndicate: Media monitoring Bosnian elections

[Marjon Agema <EIM_Forum@CompuServe.COM> (by way of Andreas Broeckmann)]

European Institute for the Media
Kaistrasse 13, D-40221 Duesseldorf
East-West Cooperation Department


PRESS RELEASE

Media in the September 1997 municipal elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina
15. September 1997


The European Institute for the Media (EIM) has completed a monitoring
mission of the media coverage of the municipal elections in Bosnia and
Herzegovina which was conducted between 25 August and 13 September at the
request and with the funding of the European Commission. In cooperation
with Prism Research and the Media Development Programme of the OSCE mission
to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EIM conducted the quantitative and
qualitative monitoring of 17 broadcasters and 3 dailies across the
Federation and Republika Srpska.

The views expressed in this press release are those of the EIM and do not
represent official views of the European Commission.


1. Election-related media regulations and the MEC

The MEC which was mandated by the Provisional Election Commission to
supervise the campaign in the media, suffered from a lack of commitment on
the part of its voting members appointed by the Parties, and from its lack
of enforcement powers.

It was only after a show of force during the last week of the election
campaign on the part of the international community that the HDZ-controlled
HTV-Mostar and the SDS-controlled SRT-Pale complied with MEC decisions.


2. General overview of the media situation

There has been considerable support rendered by the international community
working in cooperation with local partners in democratizing the media in
Bosnia Herzegovina. As many of these initiatives are of a long term nature,
it will be possible to evaluate the results only in the future. Despite
this, a number of factors continue to hinder Bosnian media development:

the media landscape remains divided into three ethnically-oriented parts.
Many of the media show strong political affiliation. As a result, reporting
often remains hostile to the "other" ethnic groups, including the use of
inflammatory language in Croat-controlled and Republika Srpska media.
With a few notable exceptions in the print media, it is difficult to find a
truly independent outlet. The majority of the media remain state-controlled
or state-owned.
There is no legal basis for private broadcasting, and draft laws on public
and commercial broadcasting have not yet been adopted.
There is very little exchange of information between the ethnically divided
media.


3. Print media

Throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, the biggest-selling newspapers are under
the control of the ruling parties: the Bosnjak SDA, Serb SDS and Croat HDZ.
However, laudable the efforts of struggling independent papers might be,
they are not able to redress the balance. The local press also remains
vulnerable to political pressure.

Political pressure exercised by editors and senior journalists,
self-censorship, lack of freedom of movement (for journalists), lack of
communication and difficulties with distribution across the two entities
and across the territories under the control of each of the ruling parties
(SDA; SDS and HDZ) have hindered the campaign coverage and, more generally,
the development of a free press.

In the Bosnjak-controlled area, the mission noted the existence of a few
independent newspapers such as Slobodna Bosna, Dani promoting the idea of a
secular, multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina and covering issues across all
parts of the country. Although Oslobodjenje focused on the SDP and Dnevni
Avaz was clearly pro-SDA, both have made some effort to provide a fairly
balanced view of the elections.

In the Croat-controlled area, the picture is radically different. There are
no independent or alternative media outlets in the area. Most media
produced in Bosnjak areas or RS are simply not available in the region. The
only locally produced newspaper, the weekly Horizont, based in Mostar, has
a small circulation and is pro-HDZ and nationalist in tone. All other
newspapers circulating within the Croat part of the Federation come from
Croatia, and most are controlled by the HDZ in Zagreb.

In Republika Srpska, the main newspaper is an SDS mouthpiece, but some
media in Banja Luka, such as Reporter magazine, have made an effort to
provide balanced coverage, allowing for alternative views.


4. Electronic media

Television is by far the most important medium across Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Croatia's HRT and Serbia's RST are broadcast across much of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, while BHT, nominally the national channel, can be seen only in
about half of the country and is perceived by many of the "Bosnjak"
television.

The Bosnjak-controlled areas are the most pluralistic in terms of media
coverage. BHT, the official state broadcaster, has run a fairly even
election coverage, giving special election slots to most political parties.

The private channels Studio 99 and TV Hayat have run relatively independent
news and elections programmes, though parties complained of the high cost
of advertising. Radio Stari Grad, and Radio FERN provided a fair election
news service, while RTV Tuzia, giving a generally positive coverage to most
parties, favoured the Joint List 1997.

In Croat-controlled areas, the HTV, dominated by the HDZ, has been highly
partisan. Only parties supportive of Croat nationalism have been shown on
HTV Mostar or in other Croat media.

Within Republika Srpska (RS), the most significant development has come
with the Banja Luka studio's secession from the state broadcaster, SRT, the
electronic media arm of the ruling SDS party. Viewers in western RS and
Banja Luka can now watch an official alternative to Pale, although viewers
in eastern Bosnia and southern Herzegovina can only see SRT Pale.

SRT Pale has limited its free election coverage to the ruling SDS and the
Serb Radical Party; the latter is opposition only in name, running on a
virulently nationalist platform.

In Banja Luka viewers can tune into three private television stations which
carry reports from non-SDS parties. NTV Banja Luka has given election space
to many political parties, but news coverage is mostly focused on the SPRS
and SDS.

For more information, please contact  Dr. Elena Chernyavskaya
at the European Institute for the Media
tel: +49 211 9010480
email: 100443.1706@compuserve.com