01 TV PRIME TIME NEWS - INDICATOR OF PUBLIC INTERESTS
 There is no doubt that television is the most influential medium. Primetime news is the most watched news program. It is the best indicator of how public interests are mediated to the public through television, how the propaganda role is abandoned and how new forms of expression are applied which are supposed to ensure high viewer ratings and competitiveness on the air for public television. Therefore, network SEENPM and Media Plan Institute as a project leader, in the 10 South East European countries, monitored two media outlets – the primetime news program of the public service and the primetime news program of the strongest commercial station. By monitoring and analyzing television contents we wanted to see what contents are presented by the different media and how, what they focus on, if they cover the same events, how much time they give them and what kind of approach they use, which appears in the reports…
Wide scope research resulted with the book “Indicator of Public Interests” that will be promoted on September, 27th. A general conclusion of this analysis, at least based on the monitored sample, may be that most public televisions managed to come out from under the cover of authorities and to produce impartial program with a strong distance. However, at least based on the IJC Research Center report, the most difficult situation is present in Moldova. For instance, reports on public television about Moldovan President Voronin opening a tractor station in a village, lasting exactly 6 minutes (from 23 min central news duration), seem almost tragicomic.
Still, globally looking, extreme deviations from ethical or professional norms were not observed, although examples of emphasizing or ignoring various events with political, economic or ownership significance from a media point of view were observed on both the public and the commercial station.
In most countries, a different approach is noticed between public and commercial broadcasters toward the stories covered. Viktorija Car from Croatia keenly portrays the relationship between the two monitored television stations. As she states, by popularizing and personalizing the news program, Nova TV succeeded in attracting that part of the audience which had found the HTV news program “too serious,” “boring,” “just politics.”
Speaking about the very content of news, it had been expected that news with negative contents would prevail, because the media naturally have an affinity for tragedies, scandals, crime. What greatly contributes to this is the still unstable social situation in most of the monitored countries, producing a large number of events with a negative context. As for journalists’ stand, i.e. their approach in covering events, what gives pleasure is the expected result that a neutral stand is the most present. This should mean that the monitored television stations foster professional journalistic coverage of events.
Anyhow, the boundaries between public and commercial television are slowly being rubbed out. In most of the monitored countries, in the harsh market-driven conditions, television stations are trying to please their target groups. Fortunately, this is done by presenting a larger number of good items more than by using various manipulations and uncritical ingratiation.
More: www.mediaonline.ba
02 REFORM OF UNIVERSITY EDICATION FOR JOURNALISTS
 The Organisation of Media Initiatives, with the Media Plan High School of Journalism within its structure, in partnership with the High School of Journalism in Lille and the University of Lille 3, and with the Department for Journalism in the Faculty of Political Sciences, have started discussions related to the reform of university education for journalists. The main aim is to establish a joint master’s study in 2010, which would, in line with the principles of Bologna Declaration, improve the quality of journalists’ education. By than, the School and the Faculty would work together on the improvement of practical education for the students of journalism in the Faculty, and endeavour to organise short modules/workshops, where participants would include the students of journalism from the faculties in the region. The support to the project is expected to come from the Government of the Republic of France, via the Department for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations.
03 “INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: ‘A MASTER THAT IS NOT’“
What are the great successes and what failures that the International Community had through its activities in BiH? Who are the obstructers of a better progress; to what degree do the reasons for failures lie in BiH, and how much are they caused by the international community itself, i.e. its inconsistency and erroneous strategies? What is the further road of action of international organisations in the country, can BiH go on without the international community, what are the alternatives? Journalist Tatjana Ljubić, the cooperate of Media Plan Institute, attempted to find answers to these questions in a TV programme titled “International Community in BiH: A Master that is not”, where the questions where answered directly by the representatives of the OHR, ambassadors, local politicians, experts in the areas of law, judiciary and economy. The programme was broadcast in BHTV 1, NTV “Hayat”, as well as a number of local television stations. The production was realised in cooperation with Heinrich Böll Foundation.
04 SUPPORT TO MINORITIES
 On 7 to 10 June, Sarajevo hosted a seminar “Modalities of Overcoming Ethnic, Religious and Inter-National Divisions – the Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, which gathered the participation of 15 journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia. The participants were informed on the peculiarities of political and media ambience in BiH, they obtained updated information on regional cooperation in South East Europe; they also visited the BiH Parliamentary Assembly and took part in the presentation of the analysis of media contents on the theme of the religious issues coverage, which showed main trends in the strongest BiH media concerning religious diversities.
Particular interest of the participants was focused on the appearance of three editors of a debate religious programme in BH1 Radio - Ekrem Tucaković, Boško Tošović and Marko Antonio Brkić, who presented a number of examples of common points in monotheistic religions, and gave some positive cases of religious tolerance in BiH, which were often pushed to the rear in BiH, country still torn by ethnic, political and religious discords.
The Sarajevo Seminar was realised within the framework of a wider project called “National Minorities in The Function of Stronger Cross-Border Cooperation and Stabilisation in the Region”, conducted by the Media Plan Institute along with their partners, Stina Institute from Split (Croatia) and the Novi Sad School of Journalism (Serbia), with the support by King Baudouin Foundation and the Government of the Republic of France.
05 RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION: «MEDIA AND RELIGION»
 «Position of religion and its cultural and civilization position within the B-H society and media are not clearly defined, as well as the multi-religious character of our society. Generally, media report on religion, separately, with more or less tolerance towards «others». Exceptions are special shows on public broadcasting services that contain different angles and views of leading monotheistic religious community of the B-H». These are the main conclusions of two months research of treatment of religion, churches, religious communities and authorities in B-H media, conducted by Media plan institute and Media initiatives. These results and the final analyze are the part of publication «Media and religion» supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Beside results the content of the publication are the essays and academic works of several authors belonging to different religious traditions, as well as of the young people who dedicated their academic work to inter-religious dialogue.
Publication is available in its .pdf form on our webpage (www.mediaplan.ba).
06 MEDIA AND RELIGIONS OVER THE LAKE OF COMO
 The publication “Media and Religion” was promoted in June in Conrad Adenauer Centre on Como Lake, in Cadenabia (Italy). Those present were the religious functionaries of monotheistic religions from BiH, Serbia and Croatia. The representatives of all churches and religious communities expressed their highest opinions about the analysis by Media Plan Institute, which was presented by our Programme Director Radenko Udovičić, and which can help them to better understand the nature of media and their field of interest.
Religious communities and churches are increasingly appreciating the importance of relations with media, particularly in the sense of organising their public relations offices, aimed at facilitating this interaction. In Italy, the representatives of Serb Orthodox Church from Serbia stated their intent to launch their electronic media in Serbia. They also admitted their lagging behind the Catholic Church, which has established in Croatia, but also in BiH, its professional media and a well organised system of public relations that has been in function for years already. The representatives of Muslim religious community in BiH have announced the launching of a Muslim radio station, for which they have already obtained a permission from the Regulatory Agency, and which will cover a large part of BiH with Bosniak majority with its signal.
07 «FÉTE DE LA MUSIQUE»
The “Music Holliday” or «Fete de la Musique» is a big happening for French citizens, and it has being organized each year in Paris, during the June. This manifestation has been established in 1982, and just in several years after establishment it became an important event on the European level and world wide.
During the “Music Holliday”, squares, streets, passages, parks, cafes, clubs and all public areas, are locations where many professional and amateur orchestras from all parts of the world are playing and performing on voluntary base. Manifestation, which aim is to make music closer to each person, makes big and famous orchestras, opera ansables and chorus play on the open air.
Cheery atmosphere from the streets of Paris has been documented by our colleague, Darko Udovčić, whose short movie has been broadcasted on the public TV service of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
08 IT IS HARD TO BE NICE
 The film by Srđan Vuletić, “It is Hard to be Nice” opened this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival, held from 17th to 25th August. One of the sponsors of this film was the Media Plan Institute Press Clipping centre.
09 “ROMANO DROM” CYCLE OF PROGRAMMES ’
 “ROMANO-DROM” is the title of a series of radio programmes, which started in August in BH Radio 1, in cooperation with the Media Plan Institute. The aim of the stories is to animate the publicity and influence the Ministers Council to promptly and efficiently bring problem-solving action programmes concerning the Roma population, planned in 2007 in the areas of employment, housing and health care. The broadcast of the series, realised with the support of Swedish Helsinki Committee, ends in late October.
Together with journalists/correspondents of BHR 1, the contributors from Roma community, who completed their training in the Media Plan Institute, also took part in the production of the programme. The programmes are broadcast on Mondays in BH Radio 1 at 11:30hrs to 12:00hrs within the programme “In our Way”. They are also rebroadcast by the following radio stations: Radio Kakanj, Radio Q, Radio Prijedor, Radio Studio 88 and Radio TNT.
More information on the project “Social Strengthening and the Inclusion of the Roma into BH Media” can be found in http://www.mediaplan.ba/?ID=131.
10 ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW ACTIVITIES
By the end of the year, Media Plan and its partner organisation Media Initiatives are continuing with their activities. Alongside the regular activities of press clipping, monitoring and analysis, the organisation of the following activities is certain:
 Seminar Ecology and Media, Fojnica, 21 to 23 September 2007
With the support by “Heinrich Boll” Foundation, a seminar will be organised for 15 journalists employed in BH media, on the theme of ecology, sustainable development and the influence of media on ecology and problem solving in this sphere. More details can be found on web-site www.mediaplan.ba, and for any further information and applications, please write to davor.marko@mediaplan.ba
Promotion of the book Indicator of Public Interest, Sarajevo 27 September 2007
The book represents the analysis of central newscasts by public services and commercial TV stations in the countries of South East Europe, produced within the SEENPM network of media organisations in the region. More info on ostojic.a@mediaplan.ba
 Module Video Journalist, Sarajevo, October 2007
The two-week training includes the technique of video-camera recording, basics of TV editing, construction of short TV story, all in the symbiosis with practical exercises. The aim of the project is to assist the Public RTV Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Press Agency BETA from Serbia, which is intending to start a video news service. The Project is supported by the Embassies of the Republic of France in Sarajevo and Belgrade. More info: udovicic.r@mediaplan.ba
 “The Role of Media in Inter-Religion Dialogue“, November 2007
Three-week module for journalists from BiH, Serbia and Croatia will take place in Sarajevo and Novi Sad through the educational-production process. Supported by the Central-European Initiative. More info on www.mediaplan.ba, for any further information and applications, please write to davor.marko@mediaplan.ba
Production of TV programmes, September - December 2007
After the first broadcast of the series supported by Heinrich Boll Foundation – “International Community in BiH: A Master that is not”, Media Plan is starting with the production of another three programmes: Alternatives to the Dayton Concept, Any Possibilities for “Green Option”, Lost or Getting by – Generation 1968 – 1974. The programmes will be broadcast in public TV service BHT1 and several commercial TV stations. More info: udovicic.r@mediaplan.ba
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