Media to be put more effort in stabilizing the region

During the session devoted to the Role of Media in Stabilization Process of the Region main discussion was focused on roll of media in post-conflict region with emphasize on the Balkan Region. It is stated that the situation in media is better than during the 1990 because media are free.

Also, impression is that they do better service than do governments and politicians. Still, serious threat to democracy, therefore and for media are so called social media. Even though they are not first sourcing of information for citizens, because citizens still more rely on the information from traditional media, they do have significant influence on public opinion. Internet and web networks can be blamed for “media wars” and “cyber nationalism” because they negatively contribute to relations among nations in the Balkans.

Although media are important in people’s life that does not mean they have power, participants stated. Media are mostly under influence of politicians, privet sector, domestic and foreign tycoons which all influence on objective informing. Thus media broadcast sensitive issues, their means are not clear. There is no intention to find causes, to investigate. Furthermore, discussing about the type of information there is still attitude that people more like bad than positive news. In the results of recent surveys can be found possible reason why media did fail to contribute to reconciliation in the Balkans; people tend to obey to information that is in accordance with their mind set.

Still, overall conclusion is that media did not made enough effort in stabilizing and conciliation and that media are not the only ones that should be blamed – politicians and citizens should also take the burden for that.