In Serbia’s ethnically diverse Sandzak region, access to quality information is critical as conflict is often imminent. With IREX’s help, one TV station has aimed to fill that information gap and has succeeded by more than doubling its ratings, making it the highest rated local station in the area.
TV Jedinstvo, one of IREX’s partners in its USAID-funded Serbia Media Assistance Program, is seen as vital for delivering information and entertainment to its local community. Its success can be measured in increased viewership, both in their audience share and reach. The station has more than doubled its ratings reach, from 7.5 percent, when the Serbia Media Assistance Program began in October 2008, to 17.4 percent in October 2009, making it the highest-rated local station in the area.
Novi Pazar, the largest city in Sandzak, is more than 73 percent Bozniak and Muslim (many Muslims are Bozniaks but identify their nationality as Muslim), according to Serbia’s 2002 census. Serbs and other Yugoslavs make up the remainder of the population. Ethnic tensions between Bozniaks and Serbs, and between different factions of the Muslim community make this a region at risk for conflict. Consequently, providing information to the Serbian population about local and national news, entertainment, culture, and government services is a necessity.
Because TV Jedinstvo already had a significant portion of the local audience share compared to other local Serbian stations in the region, IREX chose it as a key partner in the Serbia Media Assistance Program.In 2009, USAID and IREX recognized the potential of the local station to provide vital information to the minority Serbs, who are otherwise cut off from the larger population. Through the Serbia Media Assistance Program, IREX has provided support for training and consultation. One of the station’s main goals is to reach economic sustainability while continuing to provide news, information, and cultural services to the community.
Masa Mileusnic, a news presenter from TV B92 in Belgrade, provided assistance in improving the station’s news editing and editorial processes. Mileusnic co-hosted TV Jedinstvo’s central newscast with the station’s presenter on that occasion, which gained attention from the local community. “Among many other valuable lessons we all got, Masa taught me to read slower,” said Enes Radetinac, journalist and TV presenter on TV Jedinstvo. “What’s more important, colleagues from other local TV stations in Novi Pazar have noticed that I had improved my presenting significantly.” In addition to receiving other on-site consultations, personnel from TV Jedinstvo have participated in a number of off-site workshops including the following: the IREX 2009 Summer School, management, niche reporting, and new media training including writing for the Web, and utilizing the Internet and social networks.
The USAID-funded Serbia Media Assistance Program [6] strengthens the capacity and legal environment of media organizations in Serbia through training, technical assistance, and small grants.
This is a video that the station itself put together highlighting all the training they’ve done with us since the beginning of the Serbia Media Assistance Program.