Skopje, 4 April 2025 (MIA) – Professional journalists and media outlets should be allowed to work in a free media environment without pressure and threats in order the functioning of democratic processes to be guaranteed. Only safe and well-paid journalists and media workers can produce journalism that protect public interest, says a declaration presented Friday in a news conference by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM). 

The declaration notes that journalists and media workers in the country have been working amid unsafe conditions being paid low wages with their professional and workers’ rights being violated often and working under threat and attacks from different interest groups.

SSNM head Pavle Belovski said the declaration, endorsed also by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (ZNM) and the RESIS Institute, was drafted after a three-day mission for screening and representing professional and workers’ rights of journalists and media workers in the country, part of the EU-backed “Workers’ Rights for Independent Journalism” project.

A three-member mission was in the country for meetings with state institution officials and newsrooms to discuss the working conditions for journalists and media workers both in newsrooms and on the ground, current changes to the law on media and the opening of a full and inclusive process to pass changes to the law on media and pass all media laws. 

“Never forget that journalists work for the public interest. A democracy must defend a free and independent press. A democracy must allow media and journalists to work in good conditions. A democracy must provide ethic and economic independence of its journalists and media pluralism,” said Anthony Bellanger, IFJ General Secretary.

The IFJ mission is crucial from several points of view, according to Belovski. “The support we are getting from the International Federation of Journalists means a lot to us, because it is an organization that represents hundreds of thousands of journalists from around the world,” he stated. 

The declaration calls for the opening of a transparent and inclusive process to create a comprehensive media legislation, aligned with European standards, primarily with the European Media Freedom Act and the IFJ Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists.

It also calls for strengthening of the media law provisions regarding mechanisms protecting workers’ rights, passing changes to the law on media, mainly those referring to local media outlets, media of the communities as well as specialized and non-profit media outlets.

The document seeks support for the efforts of media organizations to establish a public national fund for media pluralism, recognize threats for public interests from so called SLAPP lawsuits and provide increased transparency and efficiency of national and local authorities toward journalists and media outlets.

Photo: MIA