Skopje, 01.10.2017 – The Agency published its last monitoring report on the media coverage in the period preceding the start of the election campaign, i.e. the period from 16 to 24 September 2017.
According to the findings of the monitoring of broadcasters’ reports on the topic of local elections in particular, the most frequent were the journalistic news and reports about the finishing organizational activities conducted by the State Election Commission.
Reports on the participation in the session of the UN General Assembly, as well as news items on certain ministries’ reports about their work, placed the Macedonian Government, in this period as well, among the entities most covered in the prime-time editions of the radio and television news programmes. Of the other political topics, one can single out the parliamentary debate on the draft law on the use of languages.
In this reporting period, too, the MRT1 continued its non-abidance by the provision under its Rules for Media Coverage of the 2017 Local Elections, whereby it was to “ensure balance in reporting about the activities of both the government and the opposition political parties represented in the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia” in its news until the start of the election campaign.
Nova TV and Alfa TV remained focused on information about the activities, standpoints and reactions of the largest opposition party, although to a lesser extent than in the previous reporting periods.
Radio Slobodna Makedonija (Radio Free Macedonia) re-ran the show “Zemjo Makedonska” (O, Macedonian Land), which abounds in vulgar and indecent vocabulary, i.e. is in contrast with the professional principle of fostering and developing human and moral values and protecting the individual’s privacy and dignity.
The Report is available at this link