Montenegrin journalists and their cameraman colleagues waited for hours in front of the Montenegrin Government building in the rain and cold yesterday and last night because they were not allowed to wait for the end of the session in the Government premises. They were forced to wait until 3:00 a.m. for a statement regarding the decision on the election of the Acting Director of Police, and during that time, they were not allowed access to a closed room where they could wait for the end of the session.
Such unacceptable behavior towards journalists is not an isolated case. It is an indicator of attitude towards this profession and our journalists, but also of their bad position in general, which we continuously point out. Journalists are often faced with disrespect, inadequate treatment, and even attacks, which represent a serious problem for media freedom and democracy in general. In addition, insufficiently high salaries, instability, and various pressures to which they are exposed, which threaten respect for the principles of media ethics and professionalism, contribute to the poor position of journalists.
That’s why we remind our officials, functionaries, and competent institutions that it is not enough to respect this important profession declaratively through statements, announcements, and addresses, but when they have an opportunity like the one from last night, to show them basic respect and attention in action. In this way, we will give importance to the media scene and improve the media environment and professionalism, which will certainly lead to an improvement in the quality of the media scene and freedoms in Montenegro.
On the other hand, we also invite journalists to influence the improvement of this profession’s integrity by improving their professionalism and objectivity and improving the position of journalists and the media in Montenegro through mutual respect and cooperation.
Journalists are important bearers and key guardians of democracy, and by respecting and protecting this profession, we protect our democratic principles and the development of an open and transparent society.
