Media
Media
Montenegro, both in terms of accession to the European Union and a strong commitment to the democratic system of society, promotes freedom of expression as a fundamental human right and the basis of a democratic society.
The area of media freedom in Montenegro, in accordance with the strategic goals of accession to the European Union, mechanisms of institutional and normative improvement and sustainability of the media environment, is conceived on the principles of freedom of expression, compliance with the highest international standards, interpretation of media laws European Court of Human Rights, independence of regulation and self-regulation of the media industry, independence of public broadcasters, media pluralism and diversity, transparency of media ownership, transparency of advertising and financing of media from public funds.
The Constitution of Montenegro guarantees: freedom of expression (everyone has the right to freedom of expression by speech, written word, image or otherwise), freedom of the press guarantees freedom of the press and other forms of public information, guarantees the right to establish, without permission newspapers and other media, with registration with the competent state body and a ban on censorship (there is no censorship in Montenegro).
The rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution are elaborated by media laws: Law on Media, Law on National Public Broadcaster Radio and Television of Montenegro, Law on Electronic Media, Law on Ratification of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, Law on Media.
The Law on Media is a systemic law that regulates the work and establishment of the media, defines rights and obligations in information, guarantees protection of transparency of media financing from public revenues, transparency of media ownership, protection of media pluralism, financial support for self-regulation and other issues important for media work.
The Law on the National Public Broadcaster Radio and Television of Montenegro, which regulates the activities, obligations and responsibilities, management and leadership and other issues of importance for the work of RTCG, creates preconditions for institutionally, politically and financially independent public service based on Council of Europe principles. Recommendation 96 (10) on the independence of public service broadcasting.
The Law on Electronic Media regulates the rights, obligations and responsibilities of legal and natural persons engaged in the production and provision of audio-visual media services, the status and sources of funding of regulators for electronic media, prevention of illicit media concentration, protection of media pluralism and other important issues for the field of providing audio-visual media services, in accordance with international conventions and standards.
How to make media records?
The Law on Media ("Official Gazette of Montenegro", No. 82/20), Article 9, paragraph 1, stipulates the obligation of the Ministry to keep Media Records.
In accordance with the guarantees of protection of media pluralism, the goal of the Media Record is to transparently present basic data on the media in one place.
The application for entry in the Register is submitted by the founder or an authorized person. Along with the application for registration, the founding act and the decision of the body responsible for registration shall be submitted.
Every legal and natural person has the right of insight and the right to an excerpt from the Records.
The mentioned law, Article 10, prescribes that the following shall be entered in the Register:
1) name of the media;
2) personal name of the founder and editor-in-chief of the media;
3) approval number for the provision of audiovisual media service;
4) information on the language in which the media service is provided;
5) information on the format of the media (printed, audiovisual, online publications);
6) e-mail address of the media;
7) business name / title, seat and TIN of the media founder / media service provider;
8) changes in recorded data and date of data change.
You can submit the application electronically by e-mail: vukasin.pudar@mju.gov.me or by mail to the address: Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media, Rimski trg, no. 45. 81 000 Podgorica.
Transparency of media financing from public revenues
The Law on Media guarantees the protection of the transparency of media financing from public revenues through the keeping of the Records on financial resources allocated to the media from public revenues and the Records on payments to the media based on advertising and other contractual obligations.
In this way, through the transparency of media financing by public sector bodies, continuous public insight into the amount, their type and basis is enabled.
Records on financial resources allocated to the media from public revenues
The Ministry keeps Records on financial resources allocated to the media from public revenues. The records shall contain data on the amount of financial resources allocated to the media for the provision of public services in accordance with this Law and data on the amount of financial resources received from the public sector.
The obligation to submit data has the public sector bodies that allocate funds for the provision of public services as well as the founder of the media within 30 days from the date of allocation or receipt of funds.
In the form of an annual report, the Ministry announces the total allocation of public sector funds allocated to the media as of June 1 of the current year for the previous year.
Records on payments to the media based on advertising and other contractual services
The Ministry also keeps records on payments to the media based on advertising and other contractual services.
By each March 31st of the current year for the previous year, public institutions are obliged to publish on their website the records of payments to the media based on advertising and other contracted services, including funds sent through intermediaries - agencies, clearly separating the bases for payment advertising from other contracted services paid for by the media.