THE COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE AND PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION SENDS A LETTER TO PRESIDENTS OF JOURNALISTS’ ASSOCIATION OF SERBIA, INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS’ ASSOCIATION OF SERBIA, INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS’ ASSOCIATION OF VOJVODINA, ON THE OCCASION OF TOMMOROW’S WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY (3 МАY)

“On the occasion of 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, I send my congratulations and best wishes for success in personal and professional level to you and all the members of your association.

I'm sure we share the views regarding the necessity of achieving goals such as full transparency of media ownership, availability of the public to all information on financing the media from public sources, fighting mechanisms that lead to self-censorship, hindering increasing tabloidization not only the media but also the public sphere as a whole, as well as “leakage” from public institutions of various “confidential” information, on a discriminatory basis, to certain media.

There is no doubt that in pursuing these goals the role and responsibility of the state is the largest, but it is also necessary, almost indispensable, contribution of journalists and the media. Professional journalists’ associations should perform their activities to reduce the large gap between worthy, professional, ethical standards embedded in journalistic codes and practical activities of some media and “media” workers who practically do not relate to these standards.

I highly appreciate the fact that the members of your association continually and increasingly exercise the rights under the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance and thus significantly contribute to the efforts to make the right to free access to public information an effective means of democratic public control over the work of government, and in this regard, I want to take also this opportunity to confirm the readiness and commitment of my associates and mine, within the powers of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, to help journalists and the media achieve their important social function.”