OSCE, EU, European Broadcasting Union discuss ways to improve relations between public service media and citizens
Relations between public service media and citizens was the topic of an OSCE-supported regional conference that took place in Podgorica on 5 and 6 March 2013.
The conference was jointly organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, the European Broadcasting Union and the EU Delegation to Montenegro. The event took place at the premises of the Montenegrin Public Service Broadcasting (RTCG) and brought together some 40 public service media representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, as well as representatives of Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, as guest countries.
The conference participants discussed future national and regional activities to improve the relationship between citizens and public service media, and shared experiences of the public broadcasters’ activities in the region.
“The only way for a public service broadcaster to be immune from political and economic interference is to build relations with the public, to help citizens develop a sense of ownership in order to be ready to defend and support the broadcaster,” said the Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Waldemar Figaj in his address to the conference participants. “Once such relations with citizens are established, it becomes much easier to work for the benefit of the public.”
Director General of the European Broadcasting Union Ingrid Deltenre said that having good media managers, enjoying financial independence, and understanding the government and the citizens are prerequisites for achieving the independence of the public service broadcaster.
General Director of the RTCG Rade Vojvodic said that the Montenegrin public service broadcaster will continue to create a space for public dialogue about the most important issues and seek to maintain a balanced approach vis-à-vis both the authorities and the opposition, to enable citizens to make rational decisions when exercising their political rights.