From: malenovi@plains.NoDak.edu (Nikola V. Malenovic )
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia
Subject: From a Personal Point of View (VREME NDA 13.Apr 1992)
Date: 13 Apr 92 14:35:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: plains.16730
Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo


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     "Vreme" News Digest Agency                      No. 29, April 13 1992.
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    From a Personal Point of View
    -----------------------------


              BADLY "ORGANIZED" NEWS OF A WELL ORGANIZED MADNESS


    Two  years ago  when we  in Television  Sarajevo analyzed  the political
    situation in  the country and the  task of our profession,  primarily in
    Bosnia and Herzegovina, the assessment was as follows.

    B&H is  a multinational environment  with three equal  nations. National
    movements are  growing in Yugoslavia  which will, objectively  speaking,
    bring B&H to  the brink of disintegration. Viewers will  to a greater or
    lesser extent commit themselves according to national affiliation and in
    this way watch television. What then is the task of Television Sarajevo?

    We agreed not to comment - just report; not to interpret but just supply
    the facts.

    For a  long time viewers  expected to hear  from us only  the truth they
    themselves wanted.  This is how  they were "instructed"  by the national
    parties. Our  aim is the  opposite - to  endeavor to get  people used to
    hearing the  other side. The  basic principle was  PROGRAMME CANDOR. For
    this reason TVSA every day transmits three news programs: TVSA News, HTV
    (Croatian  TV)  and  TVS  (TV  Serbia)  News  (alternately on the second
    programme) and YUTEL.

    This policy in  the beginning won fierce criticism -  out of five of the
    letters  on my  desk each  day,  four,  until the  middle of  last year,
    criticized TVSA  from different national  points of view.  Sometime from
    the middle of last year up  to today the situation completely changed so
    that out  of five letters,  four offer unreserved  support and only  one
    criticize TVSA, once again from different national points of view.

    This kind of commitment was very noticeable in the past days of drama in
    Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    It all began on april 5. Feeling the tension and atmosphere of war, RTSA
    in its programme  constantly repeated its own appeal  that officials get
    together and come  to an agreement, that all arms  be put down, that all
    bodies of  the republican government begin  non-stop meetings to prevent
    war. On the  other hand, the people asked  of us that we lead  them onto
    the  streets. We  did not  dare  to  do this  because the  profession of
    journalism  is  then  formally  transformed  into  a political force, an
    element of  power. The constant  repetition of the  call to the  leading
    parties in the military command of  Sarajevo bore fruit. Around 5 in the
    afternoon  they came  to the  Television Sarajevo  studio, together with
    representatives of  the European observers.  At the end  of one hour  an
    agreement was reached, I informed the  public and a lull began in Bosnia
    and Herzegovina.

    On the morning of  the same day citizens of Sarajevo set  off on foot to
    the B&H Parliament, defenseless, unarmed - women, children, the old - to
    stop  war breaking  out. As  soon as  this movement appeared, Television
    Sarajevo began live coverage of the  people coming out onto the streets.
    We had cameras inside the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in front
    of the Parliament, in the center of town and in front of the Holiday Inn
    hotel, as well  as in front of the RTV  building. The basic principle of
    television journalism, to be PRESENT, was carried out.

    And I was able to take a breathe.  There were calls from the SDA and SDS
    parties  wanting to  let the  public know  their standpoints. I refused:
    "either you all come to calm  the people, or no-one comes". No-one came.
    They call again from SDA - and  I again refuse. Coverage of the national
    parliament  of B&H  which has  lasted three  days and  two nights,  has,
    wonders will  never cease, united  the national parties.  They all agree
    that this coverage by Television Sarajevo is undermining the government.
    Old communist phrases. Television, which simply TRANSMITS, is guilty.

    The pressure is awful. Everything  is disintegrating except RTSA: in B&H
    there is not  a single institution that still  functions - POLICE FORCE,
    GOVERNMENT, PRESIDENCY, PARLIAMENT...

    People continue  to call, in panic  and frantic. Even about  things that
    have  nothing to  do with  RTSA. The  frightened seek  allies, a leader,
    peace. They have  found neither first, second nor  third. They have been
    left on their own, alone with RTSA.

    Charges are constantly being brought against us.

    SDS says we are carrying  out a "war-mongering editorial policy", though
    we non-stop screen "PEOPLE OF B&H UNITE AGAINST WAR. DON'T SHOOT".

    The SDA  MPs in the B&H  Parliament declare that "TV  has tried to carry
    off a coup".  And all we're doing is showing  what is happening in front
    of the Parliament.

    At  the  same  time,  reporters  from  Belgrade  Television  and HTV lie
    shamelessly  in  their  reports  to  their  studios.  Each one obeys his
    commander and his  national politics. They write what  they are told to.
    They create  an atmosphere to  make the volunteer  units in Croatia  and
    Serbia want to fight on the territory  of B&H and tear it apart. The war
    in Bosnia is being fought by people who don't even live here.

                                                                 Nenad Pejic
                                 (The author if the Editor-in-Chief of RTSA)


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     "Vreme" News Digest Agency                      No. 29, April 13 1992.
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