The Ministry of Defence “by mistake” sent an email to the newsroom of Antena M, which it admitted, and then openly refused accreditation for attending the press conference.
Furthermore, certain media outlets, such as Portal Analitika, Portal E, and TV E, were not even invited or informed about the event, thus continuing the practice of negative selection of critical media. By doing so, the public — the audiences of those media — is denied the right to know about the activities of ministries and state institutions funded by taxpayers’ money.
With such actions, the Ministry, headed by Dragan Krapović, has clearly demonstrated two things: that there is a list of “undesirable” media, and that it is ready to deliberately violate the law and the Constitution.
Article 38 of the Law on Media explicitly prohibits denying accreditation for events organized by public authorities, while Article 49 of the Constitution of Montenegro guarantees freedom of the press and other forms of public information. The Ministry has therefore simultaneously trampled on both the legal order and the highest legal norms of the state.
It is particularly concerning that this is happening in an institution that should symbolize and protect the integrity and security of Montenegro. Instead of being a guarantor of freedoms, the Ministry of Defence has assumed the role of a censor, dividing media outlets into “suitable” and “unsuitable.” Such behaviour is unacceptable and deeply undermines democratic standards.
The Media Council for Self-Regulation warns that this is not merely about denying one newsroom its rights, but about an attempt to introduce a dangerous practice of suppressing media freedom, freedom of information, and freedom of expression. This is a direct attack on the public’s right to know and an attempt to deprive journalists of their basic right to work freely.
We remind Minister Krapović and the Ministry of Defence that in a democratic state, the media are not the enemies of the authorities but rather a corrective and a service to the citizens. Anyone attempting to silence them is, in fact, striking at the foundations of democracy and sending the message that repression is an acceptable way of communicating with the public.
The Media Council calls on the Ministry to immediately put an end to discriminatory practices and to publicly apologize to the newsroom of Antena M and to the citizens of Montenegro. Any further disregard for the law and the Constitution will serve as proof that institutions of power in Montenegro are openly undermining media freedom and eroding the European values they formally claim to uphold.
Finally, we call on all newsrooms in Montenegro to show solidarity with their colleagues from Antena M. Because if one media outlet is discriminated against today, tomorrow it could happen to anyone.
Only through joint and determined resistance can we defend the rights that belong to all journalists and all citizens.
Respectfully,
Ranko Vujović
Executive Secretary of the Media Council for Self-Regulation
