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SARAJEVO, November 13 (FENA) - The concept of disinformation and fake news is much broader than what falls under the regulatory framework of the Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA), but that institution supports the position that editorial independence is the core of regulation without censorship, and uses every opportunity to call for the preservation of standards of freedom of expression and information, CRA told FENA in response to question about the need for a greater fight against disinformation and fake news, which has become a priority in media pluralism.
As they stated, in addition to supporting and strengthening professional journalism, one of the most important tools in the fight against disinformation is the development of media competencies and media literacy of media users.
“Bearing in mind that media and information literacy education is key to identifying disinformation and other forms of media manipulation, as well as preventing their spread, recognizing its share of responsibility in that area, CRA has intensified activities dedicated to improving media and information literacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” they added.
In cooperation with all interested and relevant participants from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, CRA launched Facebook page on the Media and Information Literacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is just one of a series of activities dedicated to this topic.
Communications Regulatory Agency is currently implementing the project "Protection of children on the Internet in the systems of CRA licenses' users", whose goal is to raise the awareness of children, parents and all Internet users about the dangers that can be seen in the online world, through analysis, research and statistical data pointing to the need for ongoing and preventive education, as the main step in protecting children on the Internet and digital platforms.
Media literacy is currently a topical issue, although it has been discussed at the European level and beyond for the past 15 years, and CRA is trying to position media literacy in BiH to a higher level, thanks to experts and in cooperation with international donors, such as the Council of Europe.
The Agency has the position of an institution that gathers all relevant participants who deal with various segments of media literacy, and they include decision-makers, legislators, regulators and representatives of civil society and representatives of those who work with the sphere of education, because they find it a key question when media literacy will become the part of curricula.
In the meantime, they say that intensive work is being done to raise awareness of the importance of understanding media literacy, through a network that gathers around 80 members from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
CRA has recently received the largest number of complaints, including examples of disinformation, propaganda and hate speech, on the work of online media and content published on portals and social networks, for which CRA is not legally responsible.
Professional and responsible journalism, as well as the applicable rules of the CRA, require that objectivity, impartiality, and fairness be ensured in all programs, especially in news broadcasts and informative-political programs, and license holders must fulfill this requirement with a responsible editorial policy, especially public radio and television services that have a legal obligation to provide balanced selection of news for all citizens.
However, they note that the biggest problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the online sphere, which is not legally regulated, and represents a room for maneuver for the spread of fake news and misinformation, and there are no sanctions for them.
They also believe that the absence of a legal framework for media ownership and concentration of the media and advertising industry represents a serious threat to freedom of expression. This problem is particularly evident in the sphere of online media, where even 44 percent do not contain an imprint and it is not known who owns them, who edits them, therefore they cannot be held accountable.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is no legislative framework that regulates the transparency of media ownership, and the Law on Transparency of Media Ownership is in the public interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of its approach to the European Union and the fulfillment of conditions along the way.
The Law on Transparency of Media Ownership should create a legal framework that will establish a detailed register of media ownership in order to enable systematic insight into ownership structures and prevent the risk of hidden media concentration, while at the same time clearly and precisely determining the obligations of media in terms of disclosure or transparency of ownership information.
Since CRA regulates relations in electronic media, they remind that in order to be able to broadcast, a company must obtain a permit, and in order to obtain a permit, they must submit the court registration of the company.
Holders of a broadcasting license must report any change in the ownership structure and cannot sell the license or transfer it from one owner to another, but it must be approved by the Agency, whereby CRA considers what is registered in court as valid and takes further steps based on that on the issuance of the permit.
'CRA has a register of users of licenses for audiovisual broadcasting, but information on indirect and related owners is not listed in these registers. The Agency’s initiative, which aimed to collect data and publish the register of direct and indirect media owners, was prevented by the Agency for the Protection of Personal Data of Bosnia and Herzegovina," the CRA reminds.
In 2017, they asked the Agency for the Protection of Personal Data of BiH for an opinion on publication of the register. At that time, the answer was negative, and such an opinion in the Agency for the Protection of Personal Data of BiH was justified by the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prescribes the possibility of state interference in the right to privacy and the processing of personal data, but only if three preconditions are created, that is, the existence of a legal regulation, the existence of a legitimate goal and necessity in a democratic society.
The Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina told FENA that they are currently working on the draft law on electronic media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and there is also the area of media ownership transparency within that law.
A formal working group is working on drafting the law, whose members are from CRA, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Directorate for European Integration of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that body has so far prepared about 60 percent of the text of the draft law.
(FENA) A. B.
