Montenegrin journalists are nothing but victims
Presentation by Marijana Camović, president-Trade Union of Media of Montenegro at the SEE Media Observatory conference in Tirana.
Presentation by Marijana Camović, president-Trade Union of Media of Montenegro at the SEE Media Observatory conference in Tirana.
Isn’t it hypocritical to ask your journalists to report about strikes of workers who haven’t received salaries for months and their poor living conditions, when your own employees are in the same situation?
Central regional conference of the SEE Media Observatory:
“Media and journalism in South East Europe – Captured by particular interests or turning to serve the public?”
Tirana, 12-13 June 2014
Session 5: Journalists - Victims or constituents of structures and relations which obstruct democratic role of the media?
Presentation by speaker: Marijana Camović, president-Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Montenegrin journalists are working in deeply divided and highly politicized media, which are constantly attacking each others, finding always new reasons and motives for such actions.
I must say that representatives of international organisations are reasonably concerned with situation in Montenegrin media and their relations.
Disputes between media are tragic, but special significance of this problem is that journalistic profession is degraded by these conflicts. Also, journalists are forced to choose whether they will obey professional standards or wishes of media managements.
I have no dilemma whether journalists are victims or accomplices of structures and relations which obstruct democratic role of the media. I believe that journalists are victims of societies where they live, of daily politics and media they are working for. Also, I believe that in most of situations, democratic role of media didn’t exist.
Independent and free journalism exists only in extent or level decided by individual media. This freedom is almost at the same level as journalists' will to investigate and to make an extra effort to find good and creative stories which could change the world.
Experienced media workers are facing with unannounced layoffs and overtime, low wages, work without regular weekly and annual vacations, bad and unlawful employment contracts. All this makes journalists frustrated and unmotivated since they cannot live from their work. Also, people who were working for years for certain media are suddenly finished on street without job. They are victims of media they were working for and in which they were used.
Outsourcing of journalists is the latest trend that is intended to make journalists' profession pointless. From December 2013 Montenegrin employers could rent journalists from agencies for intermediating in employment. These people are workers of agencies who are rented by media, because they are much cheaper than regular workers who have contract.
For part of employers permanent job is category that belongs to the past. But, word “outsourcing” sounds so European and they cannot hear their workers saying that working like that is humiliating.
Employers are getting rid of permanent and experienced workers and change them with beginners and people who are forced to accept anything due to bad economic situation. Low wages which journalists receive and constant reduction of salaries is additional reason to keep this problem in silent.
The state has allowed this kind of law breaking even though outsourcing were intended to be implemented like everywhere in the world – when workers are unpredictably or urgently needed by certain companies. But, this doesn’t mean that they should work as permanent workers.
The situation was already bad with contracts for a definite period and contracts on copyrights work, which allowed hiring journalists and other workers without giving them the status through the contract and without paying taxes to the state.
These people are factually without job because they working on “grey market” even though their work is visible and measurable. In Montenegro that kind of “business relation” is called “honorary associate”. This formulation is not recognised by the Labour Law, but in every Montenegrin media there are at least several honorary associates who are waiting for years to sign the first contract with the firm.
If we know all this, it is not hard to understand that Montenegrin journalists are nothing but victims. Which credibility the media have to point out on problems of society and anomalies of the system when they misuse basic human rights of people they employed? Isn’t it hypocritical to ask your journalists to report about strikes of workers who haven’t received salaries for months and their poor living conditions, when your own employees are in the same situation?
Montenegrin media workers are united in the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro. They left aside editorial policies of their media because they aware that we all share the same problems. In forthcoming period we have to persuade our employers that we kept them long enough from the economic crisis and that we are tired of their excuses. They should know that we are ready for united action and that without us their media cannot exist. The first lawsuits are submitted for breaking working rights of our colleagues. The key ingredient for this action is solidarity and if we succeed in it that will be the first time for Montenegrin journalist to act united.
Thank you!
Media Integrity
Journalism
