Several associations of journalists condemned the announcement from Prime Minister Zoran Zaev that he will again allow the Government to procure services from media outlets. This is one of the few remaining planks of Zaev’s 2015 Colored Revolution that he hasn’t demolished yet.

During the protests, that were broadly supported by the leadership of media associations such as SEMM and ZNM, Zaev pledged that he will end the practice of having public relations campaigns funded by the Government broadcast through private media. This was made out by Zaev and his SDSM party as a huge abuse of power and a way to influence editorial policies.

But now Zaev announces that he will end this ban because “the Government needs to help the media outlets and allow them to sign contracts with public utility companies, municipalities and the like”. 

We opposed this practice because we saw it as a bad example of state bribery of the media and a contributing factor to the deterioration of the condition in the media scene. We remind the public that this statement by the Prime Minister is contrary to Government policies and to  pre-election promises by his own SDSM party that it will not allow public funds to flow into private media companies. This pledge was often publicly repeated. We believe that this proposal will further weaken the media market and make media outlets susceptible to clientelism, said the ZNM, SEMM, SSNM and MIM associations in a joint statement.

Still, the four organizations said that they would be open to public support for private media outlets, but only after a debate, and if it is aimed at what they call “professional journalism”.