prijava
SARAJEVO, May 25 (FENA) - The US Government supports independent media in BiH by directly supporting independent, high-quality, fact-based journalism, the Ambassador of the United States of America to BiH Eric Nelson stated today during an online discussion on media freedom in BiH #PustiPričuDaŽivi.
The discussion was organized through the Zoom platform by the Center for Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD) within the USAID Independent Media Empowerment Program (IMEP).
In his introductory address, Ambassador Nelson emphasized the importance of media freedom and such programs, as well as commitment of journalists in the fight against pressures that diminish media freedom in BiH.
The U.S. Government, he said, is committed to helping, but that help is not infinite and will not last forever.
“We can only provide support, and it is the responsibility of key institutions and media houses to take the initiative to guarantee media freedom in BiH. Even with our support, we see challenges that journalists and media houses face in their efforts to deliver news,” Nelson added.
In the recent report by the Reporters Without Borders for 2020, BiH was in 58th place out of 180 countries when it comes to media freedom, which is one of the weakest results in Europe.
It is clear, Nelson added, that the negative political climate and bad economic situation affect the entire society, including the freedom of the media, expression and all other freedoms.
“Censorship, inadequate protection of journalists, political and financial pressures devalue media houses and discourage them in their efforts to investigate corruption. Some media houses emphasize nationalist rhetoric, which results in a higher degree of hate speech, a lower degree of professionalism and reduced ethical standards,” Nelson said.
He added that the situation will probably remain the same if the public, together with journalists, does not put pressure on political actors and government institutions to improve the legal framework and increase support for the independent media sector.
(FENA) A. B.
