Occasionally, journalists do get a chance to interrogate officials publicly about why they won’t answer requests for information. This usually happens after the officials have repeatedly refused to answer questions previously put to them, causing awkward moments in front of the cameras, mics, officials and other guests.
Sometimes officials will deliberately undermine the work of independent journalists by providing the information to all the media even though the questions were originally requested by only one or two. Other times the officials also insist on requiring formal reasons for having to answer to make it harder, slower and more exhausting for journalists, presumably in the hope that they will give up trying to report the topic in hand.
A vivid example of all three types of this behaviour is displayed by Prijedor’s acting regional hospital director, Miroslav Bijelic, and his interactions with BN TV and its local correspondent, Mladen Karan.
Below is a transcript of part of the press conference held on July 1, 2024 with Republika Srpska Health Minister Alen Seranic and Prijedor Mayor Javor during their visit to the local hospital, whose reconstruction has been promised by the SNSD since 2020 but is still pending. The huge public interest in Prijedor’s hospital is not only centred on the long-awaited reconstruction, but also on the frequent leaks during heavy rain and about the poor condition of the facilities, in particular the oncology department.
Journalist: “Mr Bijelic, this is Mladen Karan, BN TV. On June 19, we sent you questions related to hospital reconstruction. Up until today we didn’t get the answers. So, is there any reason why?”
Bijelic: “There is not any reason. As all the other media, you could get a joint interview. The other media were present.”
Journalist: “You didn’t invite us.”
Bijelic: “At the same time as you were called, the others were called too. Now, I don’t know…”
Below is another transcript of an exchange between the same individuals during a press conference held on December 27, 2024 on Prijedor’s hospital workers and union striking over dissatisfaction with pay and conditions.
Journalist: “Why have you never answered the questions sent to you by BN TV? Are you afraid of something?”
Bijelic: “No, I’m not afraid of anything at all. I always answer press enquiries. You can invite me for an interview. I will always respond to any of your questions and answer you in written form, because I believe that the written method of communication in the sense of a statement that will be delivered to all media is the best way for you and me to protect ourselves from some misinterpretations…”
Journalist: “So, you’re sure you’ve answered us?”
Bijelic: “Absolutely. You will receive written answers to all the questions you ask, which are in accordance with journalistic ethics and what I am allowed to submit in terms of the information I can provide.”
Journalist: “Over the last two or three months, you have never answered one question.”
Bijelić: “I will answer…”
Journalist: “You even asked us to send you a certified and signed request?”
Bijelic: “Which, I think, is quite logical that certified and signed documentation is sent. You did not send a signed and certified one, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the questions should be such that I can answer them. And not that I am asked to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to your specific suggestion, which I cannot.”
Speaking to BIRN, Karan pointed out that the usual practice is to send a simple email to someone who has the authority, knowledge and even duty to answer relevant questions from journalists. Karan said that he never faced anyone before who had requested such highly formal correspondence, suspecting that this was another official method designed to make journalists’ work more difficult.
“Bijelic asks for questions to be sent with a memorandum, stamp and signature. I forwarded his request to my headquarters. They sent back what he had asked for and I forwarded this to the hospital’s email address. After some time, I called to check why there still had been no answer. They told me that they need hard copies, not emails or scans. So, we did it like it used to be done in the pre-digital era. Again, no word back from hospital,” Karan recounted.
“So, what Bijelic said to journalists in December does not match with my experience. We did whatever he asked for and he still never answered,” Karan said.
In Karan’s experience, the hospital’s management as well as city administration have also been guilty of using the friendly press to pre-empt his stories in order to put the issue in a more positive light.
“It happened to me twice. The first time it was about this hospital reconstruction. As I said, I sent the questions on June 19; three days later RTRS published a very optimistic story about exactly that topic in its main news… Another example was last October when I sent an inquiry to the local administration about the public parking price increase. A few days later, RTRS hosted the parking service chief who was supposed to be my interviewee, who talked about the new prices for more than seven minutes. I never got the answers,” Karan said.
Consistent with the criticism of SNSD’s methods towards the media outlined here, neither Bijelic nor Javor answered BIRN’s questions sent to their official email addresses about their alleged selective approach towards the media, including favouring media that are perceived by the public to be under government control and not responding to the media that are perceived by the public to be independent.