ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN THE LOCAL INTEGRITY SYSTEM

Media have a key role to play in the Local Integrity System. They are the main channel of communication between the institutions of local government and local self-governance and civil society. Media are tasked with more than just informing the public about political decisions. They are charged also with ensuring the pluralism of opinions and providing a critical analysis of the processes within the local community. Media play the role of watchdog in protecting the local community’s interests. In a stable Local Integrity System, media, along with organized civil society, assist in investigating and denouncing cases of corruption and keep the local community informed about corruption and its impact. In order for media to act as a safeguard against abuse, misuse, fraud, and irregularities by officials at local government levels, they also have to adhere to the highest standards of transparent and accountable governance (i.e., transparency of media ownership, adherence to ethics standards, and media accountability to their audience).

Media’s contribution to the Local Integrity System in 2015 was assessed using a set of 19 indicators, grouped under three categories – capacity, role, and governance. Information used in the assessment was gathered through in-depth interviews with journalists from print, broadcast, digital, and internet media and media monitoring.

Local media were among the lowest scoring pillars in the 2015 Local Integrity System Index Study with a country average composite score of 2.69 points on a 5-point scale. This was largely due to the low scores for two of the dimensions – local media’s capacity and role. Media scored poorly in terms of their ability to function independently of external political and economic pressures, inadequacy of financial and human resources, poor engagement with and commitment to investigating and revealing corruption and informing the general public at the local level about the negative effects of this phenomenon.

The study of local media in 2015 concudes that the media are one of the Local Integrity System’s structures that require a most substantial investment in developing and implementing initiatives designed to dispel distinct perceptions of media dependence on external political and economic pressures, as well as to successfully deal with the inadequacy of financial and human resources, the poor commitment to investigating and revealing corruption and informing the local community about the negative effects of this phenomenon. On the one hand, most media outlets’ refusal to get involved in momentous in-depth investigations of major local-level cases of corruption is determined by the growing media dependence on the distribution by the local governments of advertisement and information contract revenues, the worsening trends of excessive concentration of media ownership, control and self-censorship, as well as the lacking sense of security and protection of journalists by the professional community and by the general public at the local level. At the same time, it should be noted explicitly that there exist enclaves of analytical, socially responsible, and critical journalism, which, albeit rather marginal, still play an important part in maintaining, at least partway, a critical and rational public debate.

Some of the problems identified in the local media’s activities and role could be addressed by introducing clear criteria and principles of proportionality in the distribution of advertisement revenues and funds for promoting EU-funded projects. This will curb the influence (direct or indirect) on editorial policies by the institutions awarding public information contracts. It is essential to set up a public register of the appropriation and expenditure of public funds for the media.

It is important that the professional communities undertake also measures to foster a more systematic and analytical approach by the leading media outlets and investigative journalists to issues of corruption (e.g., training sessions, seminars with the participation of experts and research organizations, exchange of ideas and good practices).