The opposition’s proposal to introduce a temporary editorial board and provisional management at RTRS does not guarantee media independence, said journalist Ljiljana Smailović in an interview for the Morning Program.
She emphasized that the opposition is treating the media as political spoils, noting that such demands are being made ahead of the elections.
“I’ve also noticed that they’re mentioning the so-called North Macedonian model,” Smailović said. “It’s important to remember that this is the same model through which the EU forced North Macedonia to change its name — even though the citizens voted differently in a referendum. They didn’t get the promised EU membership, only NATO.”
She added that the outcome of that model is telling: former North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev now lives in Dubai, while his associate works for NATO.
“The Macedonian model in Bosnia and Herzegovina is Christian Schmidt,” Smailović concluded.
She also pointed out that the opposition complains about being labeled, while simultaneously labeling others.
“They call journalists ‘Goebbels,’ using the same labeling tactics themselves. The opposition has every right to demand political debates, but editors also have the right to decide what serves the public interest,” she noted.
The statement came after a press conference held yesterday in front of Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS) by Igor Crnadak, head of the PDP parliamentary group in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, and Marinko Božović, Mayor of East Ilidža and a member of the SDS Main Board.
Dissatisfied with RTRS’s editorial policy, they proposed establishing a temporary editorial board, provisional management, and a media monitoring mechanism.
Source: RTRS
