The independence of Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), local public broadcasters, and the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AVM) is essential for safeguarding the public interest, yet political pressures continue to hinder their functioning. This was one of the conclusions of the PRODUCAST by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), focusing on the media situation in Montenegro and the importance of an independent and accountable public service.
The Director of AVM, Sunčica Bakić, described the media landscape in Montenegro as highly challenging, emphasizing that the overall socio-political situation is directly reflected in the media.
“There is a cause-and-effect relationship that is, in a way, inseparable: the media are exactly as society is“, Bakić noted.
Political scientist and analyst Marko Savić argued that the Montenegrin media scene is negatively dynamic. “One of the longstanding issues is the lack of capacity for agreement on self-regulation”, said Savić, pointing out that, despite its small size, Montenegro’s media market is of interest to large regional media houses that succeed or attempt to exert a certain level of influence
Veteran journalist, editor, and until recently head of the Media Directorate at the Ministry of Culture and Media, Neđeljko Rudović, stated that Montenegro’s media scene deserves a passing grade, and that the overall picture cannot be defined by examples of tendentious journalism. According to him, the most influential and trusted outlets in Montenegro are not tabloids but traditional media. “When you look at the global picture, the most popular media are often those that don’t adhere strictly to professional standards”, he added.
The speakers agreed that genuine independence of the Public Broadcaster is lacking, pointing to the ongoing attempts of political influence and control over the work of councils and work of RTCG and AVM.
When asked whether the Parliament’s failure to appoint members to the AMU Council is a sign of disinterest or a potential attempt to place the body under political control, Bakić refrained from speculating about motives but stressed that the outcome of such actions is not beneficial for Montenegrin society. “The Agency Council has long operated on the edge of quorum, which means all decisions must be made with unanimous support from the current members” Bakić explained.
She also noted that, compared to the region, Montenegro’s media scene doesn’t look too bad, but she emphasized the changed circumstances, particularly the noticeable rise in hate speech.
Strengthening institutions like AVM should be a priority, Bakić said, and regardless of the motives behind the inability to implement its full mechanisms, the implications for Montenegrin society are negative.
When asked whether his resignation as head of the Media Directorate was related to the failure to appoint AVM Council members, Rudović confirmed it was partly linked. He explained that the Parliamentary Administrative Committee has arbitrarily applied procedures not prescribed by the Law on Audiovisual Media Services or by the Law on the Public Broadcaster when it comes to the appointment of Council members. Rudović said this is, in fact, an excuse for the underlying intention of the current parliamentary majority to control and dominate the selection of council members in both of these crucial institutions.
He also reminded that the same MPs had voted for the media laws when Montenegro when Montenegro needed to secure a positive IBAR, but that as soon as the IBAR was obtained, obstructions and attempts to block the process began. Rudović emphasized that the current parliamentary majority is trying to completely nullify the media laws and all the positive reforms aimed at creating a truly independent regulator and public broadcaster.
Speaking about how RTCG operates, Savić noted that while budget discussions are frequent, too little attention is paid to programming and production plans, which should be aligned with budget planning. He added that RTCG’s programme and production plans, as strategic documents, have never been at a satisfactory level, and that their quality has further deteriorated in the last six or seven years.
Commenting on how RTCG’s work should be regulated in line with European standards, Rudović said that resolving the issue of appointing the general director is a priority
He also questioned why no scandals or major investigations are initiated by the Public Broadcaster. “I believe the Public Broadcaster should serve the public interest by acting as a corrective force to any government. To do so, it must raise issues that every government, by its nature, would prefer to sideline or hide. That is the fundamental purpose of a public broadcaster”, said Rudović.
Bakić concluded that one of the key problems for both AVM and RTCG is that political elites in Montenegro do not see the benefit in having a truly independent agency or genuinely independent national public broadcaster. According to her, no political party in Montenegro has refrained from “flirting” with media outlets of questionable professional integrity at some point in their political trajectory. “I am equally sure that there is no political party that has not, at some point, experienced how such flirting can backfire”, Bakić added, noting that such experiences do not contribute to a broader understanding of the essential role that independent media play in a functioning society.
On whether RTCG has strayed from its public service mission, Rudović underlined that Montenegro still lacks a genuinely free public broadcaster. He also reminded that in addition to the national Public Service, there are 15 local public broadcasters in the country. He emphasized that, along with over 700 employees at RTCG, nearly 500 journalists, reporters, cameramen, and editors work at the local level. “This is a significant resource Montenegro has. The goal should be to ensure these outlets operate fully independently. That is why rules for appointing their governing bodies have been changed to safeguard them from local political interference,” he explained.
He emphasized that all 16 publicly funded media outlets in Montenegro receive guaranteed funding that is more than sufficient for their operations, and that the owners of these media outlets are the citizens of Montenegro. “If these outlets do their job by providing objective, timely, and accurate information, if they foster open debate and maintain a critical stance toward power – then we are truly a society that has a future”, Rudović concluded.
PRODUCAST was produced as part of the project “Media for Democracy: Strengthening RTCG Independence for the Future of Montenegro”, implemented by the CCE with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
MINA Agency