A group of journalist and media organizations submitted a request to the Government for the implementation of systemic media reforms, which emphasizes priority legal amendments and measures that need to be implemented.
The Government has been asked to start an inclusive and transparent process for a public discussion, as other problems resolutions can lead to the improvement in the freedom of expression and the situation in the media sector.
The requests come from the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), the Media Ethics Council of Macedonia (CEMM), the Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM) and the Institute for Communication Studies (ICS), and have several priorities.
They are asking for the security and safety of journalists, to put a stop to attacks on journalists, respect for workers and professionals rights of journalists and other media workers, as well as the transparency of public institutions and the improvement of conditions in the field of investigate journalism. The requests indicate the independence of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, as well as the institutional autonomy and editorial independence for MRT.
The priorities also include the prevention of hate speech and the incitement of violence in audiovisual contents, as well as the termination of the client connection between media owners and the Government and the improvement of working conditions for the private media.
