1. 12-13 June, Tirana Dr.sc. Helena Popovic
Central regional conference of the SEE Media Observatory: Media and journalism in South East Europe – Captured by particular interests or turning to serve the public?
12-13 June, Tirana
Dr.sc. Helena Popovic
This project is funded by the European Union Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)
Civil Society Facility (CSF).

2. MEDIA INTEGRITY RISK AREA: POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
Why policy development and implementation do not result in efficient measures and operational media systems based on respect for media freedom, independence and pluralism?
What are the forms of institutional corruption and conflicting dependence in this area, and which factors influence them?

3. PROCESSES (similarities)
Highly controlled media systems in previous regimes
from 2000 onwards - The most important activities regarding media regulation
Development of Strategy – Serbia - Strategy for the Development of the Public Information System in the Republic of Serbia until 2016 (2011), Macedonia - Strategy for the Development of Broadcasting, Croatia – in preparation; strategies either not developed or largely ignored in terms of implementation
Lack of an extensive analyses of the media environment based on reliable consistent data
Development of media policy – either as a response to media industry development, or in the context of European Union integration - a driving force and a justification for new media regulation.
Tendency - copy-paste media laws from EU countries as a part of the integration processes

4. Frequent changes of regulation and rules
No regulation of print media, focus on broadcasting
Regulatory bodies – incompetent, lack of expertize and experience, nomination procedure - appointed through political bargaining, lack of implementation of provisions in their field
Lack of implementation of existing rules on all levels
Market competition , media concentration - least regulated aspects of the media system, alternatively – if regulated, implementation lacking
Media finances are non-transparent, as well as media ownership
Public interest – (what, who’s interest? Let me google it!)
Also ignored – labor and social rights of journalists, precarious working conditions - quality of media content …

5. STAKEHOLDERS – POSITIONING
Political actors (government, political parties, ministries…) – power of policy making and influence through financing (state/public ownership, state advertising, other funding…)
International actors - Council of Europe, European Commission, OSCE – positive influence
Media industry (market players) - against regulation, quicker to react to the evolving situation and media developments, advocate for liberalization of advertising but ignoring media workers rights, self-regulatory mechanisms, quality of content etc.
Civil society (professional associations) – important in order to balance the appetites of those in power and to advocate for public interest; allowed to take more or less part depending on political structures, however remaining weak and often ignored

6. Political-clientelistic and corrupt links between political and economic powerful actors
Regardless of the intensified regulation of the media systems (EU)– media performance is worse in the last decade
Differences in the main sources of pressure: political actors vs. market players
BiH, Makedonija, Srbija - political elites - intensified control over media

7. Positive trends
Inclusive - consultation thanks to international pressure
Civil society and professional associations - more active
Formally existing media regulation