The Ministry of Information and Telecommunications has not yet responded to the request made by journalistic and media associations for changes to the process of project-based co-financing of media content. Based on the application form for registration of candidates for new commission members, it is evident that none of the proposals regarding the scoring system for candidates have been accepted.
On September 8, the Ministry issued a call to journalistic and media associations, theorists, analysts, and practitioners in the media field to apply by December 31 for entry into the Register of Candidates for Commissions for Project-Based Co-Financing of Media Content, through the Unified Information System (JIS). The application form and the scoring criteria remain identical to those of the previous year, despite requests for changes submitted by media and journalistic associations.
To recall, on August 25 of this year, the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), Local Press, and the Media Association officially sent a request to the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications to change the scoring criteria for commission candidates in the process of project-based media content co-financing.
Among the proposed changes were suggestions that master’s and doctoral degrees should be scored differently, that there should be a wider scoring range for work experience—since currently, 16 and 40 years of media experience receive the same number of points—, that the scoring of professional papers and participation in professional events should be removed due to frequent misuse and manipulation, and that academic papers and participation in scientific conferences should be assigned fewer points. It was also requested that writing and participating in the implementation of projects should not be scored, as they cannot be verified, and that previous participation in project evaluation commissions should also not be scored.
The only noticeable change in the JIS during the registration of future commission members is an added clarification of what qualifies as published scientific and professional papers, and participation in professional and scientific conferences, due to a high number of ambiguities and abuses in this area.
In addition to changes in scoring, ANEM, NUNS, UNS, Local Press, and the Media Association proposed several measures aimed at improving the transparency of the project co-financing process for media content in Serbia.
ANEM (Association of Independent Electronic Media)
UNS (Journalists’ Association of Serbia)
Local Press
NUNS (Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia)
Media Association
