Skopje, 25.01.2016 – The Internet Portal LIBERTAS published an article today on a correspondence from the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ms Dunja MIjatovic, to the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media services, titled, “Scandalous: Zoran Trajcevski begged Dunja Mijatovic to say there is no need for media reforms”. The aired correspondence from Ms. Mijatovic is a response to a letter which the Agency sent to her in December last year – and which the regulatory body is attaching hereby with the aim of contributing to the objectiveness and accuracy of reporting.
As known already, the Office of Ms. Dunja MIjatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, played an active role in making the media-related legislation in the Republic of Macedonia back in 2013, insisting on transparency. At the same time, OSCE stressed that this approach must be respected in case of any amendments to the laws on media.
In this context, the Agency sent a letter which clearly shows that the sole aim of the regulatory authority was to notify Ms Mijatovic’s Office that the laws on media were subject to political negotiation instead of an open public debate with all relevant stakeholders – which was what the journalist associations sought as well, after all. Not at a single spot in the letter was OSCE requested to state if there was a need for media reforms or not.
The letter which the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services sent to Ms. Dunja MIjatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, in December 2015, can be downloaded at the following link