The theme of this year's South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) held in Skopje on 16-17 October 2014 - Media in South East Europe: Not enough or too much information? - offered the opportunity for comprehensive and active discussions covering key topics such as the right to information access, journalism data, privacy and the protection of sources, self-regulation and quality-reporting standards. A session was also devoted to opinion making in times of conflict and lessons of the media war in Ukraine.
SEEMF was organised by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the Central European Initiative (CEI) in partnership with UNESCO, the European Commission, the International Academy - International Media Center (IA-IMC) and the South East and Central Europe PR Organisation (SECEPRO).
The event also benefitted from cooperation from the South East European Network for the Professionalization of Media (SEENPM); the Macedonian Institute for Media; the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM/ZNM); the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs; the Council of Europe (COE); the European Broadcasting Union (EBU); the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (OBC) and the M6 Education Center in Skopje.
Apart from working sessions, SEEMF offered a unique opportunity to meet media CEOs, editors-in-chief, leading journalists, business professionals, CEOs from companies active in South East and Central Europe, representatives of marketing and public relations agencies, civil society representatives, academics and representatives of state institutions from South, East and Central Europe.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Macedonia, Nikola Poposki, welcomed participants and debated with the journalists upon media and politics in Macedonia.
“Respect for freedom of expression and the media is among the key indicators of a country's readiness to become part of the EU. That’s why the CEI is particularly engaged in supporting activities which promote free and diverse media” said CEI Secretary General Amb. Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri welcoming the participants.
“We are also particularly committed to supporting investigative journalism. Investigative reporters continue facing pressures in most countries and repression in some. The CEI-SEEMO yearly award is meant to honour valuable journalists who are actively engaged in investigative reporting, despite the difficult conditions under which they often have to operate” CEI Secretary General also emphasised.
During the Forum, the CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism 2014 was presented to Serbian journalist Brankica Stanković (section Professional Journalists) who could not attend the Forum and was represented by some colleagues, and to Bosnian-Herzegovinian reporters Sadeta Fišić, Jovana Kljajić and Maida Salkanović (section Young Professional Journalists). A Special Mention was presented to the Ukrainian reporter Anna Babinets.
On Saturday 18 October, SEEMO organised the annual Commission on Media Policy under the topic Strengthening the Press under Pressure of War and Repression, supported by the M6 Educational Centre Skopje.
At the end of the Forum, the organisers announced that the SEEMF 2015 would take place in Bucharest (Romania).
Video with Brankica Stankovic, CEI SEEMO Award receiver (professional journalists section)
Video with Maida Salkanovic, CEI SEEMO Award receiver (young journalist section)
Video with Ukrainian reporter Anna Babinets, CEI SEEMO Special Mention receiver
SEEMF was organised by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the Central European Initiative (CEI) in partnership with UNESCO, the European Commission, the International Academy - International Media Center (IA-IMC) and the South East and Central Europe PR Organisation (SECEPRO).
The event also benefitted from cooperation from the South East European Network for the Professionalization of Media (SEENPM); the Macedonian Institute for Media; the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM/ZNM); the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs; the Council of Europe (COE); the European Broadcasting Union (EBU); the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (OBC) and the M6 Education Center in Skopje.
Apart from working sessions, SEEMF offered a unique opportunity to meet media CEOs, editors-in-chief, leading journalists, business professionals, CEOs from companies active in South East and Central Europe, representatives of marketing and public relations agencies, civil society representatives, academics and representatives of state institutions from South, East and Central Europe.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Macedonia, Nikola Poposki, welcomed participants and debated with the journalists upon media and politics in Macedonia.
“Respect for freedom of expression and the media is among the key indicators of a country's readiness to become part of the EU. That’s why the CEI is particularly engaged in supporting activities which promote free and diverse media” said CEI Secretary General Amb. Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri welcoming the participants.
“We are also particularly committed to supporting investigative journalism. Investigative reporters continue facing pressures in most countries and repression in some. The CEI-SEEMO yearly award is meant to honour valuable journalists who are actively engaged in investigative reporting, despite the difficult conditions under which they often have to operate” CEI Secretary General also emphasised.
During the Forum, the CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism 2014 was presented to Serbian journalist Brankica Stanković (section Professional Journalists) who could not attend the Forum and was represented by some colleagues, and to Bosnian-Herzegovinian reporters Sadeta Fišić, Jovana Kljajić and Maida Salkanović (section Young Professional Journalists). A Special Mention was presented to the Ukrainian reporter Anna Babinets.
On Saturday 18 October, SEEMO organised the annual Commission on Media Policy under the topic Strengthening the Press under Pressure of War and Repression, supported by the M6 Educational Centre Skopje.
At the end of the Forum, the organisers announced that the SEEMF 2015 would take place in Bucharest (Romania).
- SEEMF programme available here
Video with Brankica Stankovic, CEI SEEMO Award receiver (professional journalists section)
Video with Maida Salkanovic, CEI SEEMO Award receiver (young journalist section)
Video with Ukrainian reporter Anna Babinets, CEI SEEMO Special Mention receiver