How can journalism be professional while the threat of getting fired is constantly hanging over ones head, or the fear of the abolishment overnight of the media outlet you work for, was one of the conclusions of the conference “The Work of the Media” which was organized by the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers and is part of the project “Workers’ rights for Media Workers” supported by the British Embassy in Skopje.
“The owners of the media have their own bosses, politicians who want to rule at any cost. The only way out is in a struggle of solidarity, defiance, and togetherness”, said Dragan Antonovski from the SSNM. ( Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers )
British Ambassador Charles Garrett said that the battle for professional journalism will be a long one, and the rights of journalists and media workers are part of human rights.
“The European Union for a several years in a row now have expressed concern about the media situation in Macedonia. We are concerned about the freedom of the media, workers rights, and safety at work. Happy employees means more success within the media”, pointed out Ambassador Garrett.
An investigation by the SSNM shows that only one percent of media workers in the country are confident in their jobs, while 77 percent said that they’re scared regarding their employment in the medium for which they work.