Skopje, 24.02.2016 – The Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services encourages the media once again to observe the professional standards and principles seriously and consistently, fully aware of the important role they play in the process where the citizens of any democratic society should freely form their standpoints on all social and political issues based on true and objective information and diverse viewpoints.The requirements concerning fair, unbiased and balanced reporting do not refer only to the period of the electoral process – this is only a different way of formulating the principle of objective and unbiased presentation of the events while ensuring equal treatment of the diverse views and opinions. This principle is not only prescribed by the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, but is also a universal professional standard in all democratic societies and a sine qua non for performing the journalist profession.
The Agency calls on all broadcasters, as well as print media and internet portals, and their owners, to make a clear distinction between the business, political and private interests on one hand and professional reporting on the other, and enable all media professionals to perform their jobs freely and independently.