Media Freedoms in a Country in Transition

Europeizacija medija začeta je već ranije – političkim i zakonodavnim promjenama. Političke su promjene donijele medijima političku slobodu (oslobađanje od straha od političara), ali još ne i gospodarsku slobodu (neovisnost od gospodarskih centara moći i motiva zarade). Zakonodavne promjene događaju se sporije nego što se to s promjenom vlasti očekivalo. Mediji su već počeli svoju transformaciju u javne medije, ali zakonski okvir tih promjena kasni. Primjerice, novinari bi trebali biti prisutni i u tijelima koja odlučuju o tiskovnim medijima u vlasništvu države, što zakonom još nije regulirano. Zakonodavstvo treba pomoći medijima da se osiguraju od utjecaja raznih centara moći i u osiguranju jednakog odnosa izvora informacija prema raznim medijima. Tek s povišenjem razine profesionalnosti - a to prije svega znači boljim obrazovanjem novinara – i stvaranjem ozračja veće sigurnosti novinarskih radnih mjesta te, uopće, društva dijaloga i slobode, novinari će moći obavljati ulogu kontrole vlasti i javne savjesti. Nema ništa loše u tome da mediji vladaju svijetom, kako se uobičajilo reći, ali samo ako su ti mediji (novinari tih medija) oružje slobode.The Europeanization of the media began before the onset of the period of transition with a wide range of political and legislative changes. Political changes brought political freedom to the media (freedom of fear from politicians) but not yet economic freedom (independence of economic centres of power and the profit motive). Legislative changes are proceeding at a slower pace than it was expected when the new authorities took power. The media have already started to transform into the public media, but the legislative framework for this change is still missing. For instance, journalists ought to be represented in bodies discussing the printed media in state ownership, which, however, is not yet regulated by law. Legislation should help the media to free themselves from the influence of different centres of power and to secure that all source of information should treat the different media on an equal footing. It is only through improved professionalism (that is, better educated journalists), greater job security for journalists and more open dialogue and freedom in society that journalists will be able to play the role of public conscience and controllers of the authorities. There is nothing wrong in the media ruling the world (as the saying goes) as long as the media (that is, journalists) are engaged in the fight for freedom