BEE EHEEEES

of vital importance: professional training, conflict resolution programs, reporting on minorities, effective advertis-
ing activities...

multiple education programs must be coordinated so that time and energy are no wasted through the redundant rep-
etition of activities (ANEM has established strong coordination among various media initiatives in the field and
preparations are under way to establish the European Media School with the assistance of the BBC, Deutsche Welle
and Radio Hilversum).

- the development of local media guarantees the affirmation of distinctive regional features;

- support for new technologies - the Internet and satellite systems - is extremely important in the establishment of
networks of local and regional activities; the Internet and satellite have removed boundaries and rendered censor-
ship obsolete and ineffective, which is why they should be at the disposal of the independent media, enabling them
to compete with state-controlled media and overcome government censorship.

- external media intervention through programs produced by VOA, BBC, RFE/RL, RFI and Deutsche Welle in various lan-
guages cannot be sufficiently effective as listeners always seek to detect the political interest of the country in which
the broadcaster is based, however by collaborating in the development of the local media which would rebroadcast
these programs it becomes possible to increase the flow of formation and to develop a local infrastructure.

- the technical capacities of these international broadcasters must be at the disposal of local media to assist them in
resisting government censorship (as in the cooperation of B92 and VOA in 1996) or a network should be estab-
lished (as in the collaboration of B92 and BBC which assisted in the establishment of a network of 33 radio stations
in Yugoslavia).

- other technical capacities must be identified for use in the process of conflict resolution (ANEM is currently nego-
tiating with EbS for the use of their satellite channels to broadcast programming intended for Kosovo where at pre-
sent there are no independent electronic media) - thus a system of “humanitarian frequencies" for assistance in
conflict resolution and the development of independent media could be managed by organisations such as the
OSCE;

- apart from financial aid, the economic effectiveness of independent media structures must also be enhanced in un-
democratic countries which are plagued by national conflicts - this may be achieved by granting loans (which is al-
ready being done by the Media Development Loan Fund in New York); thus the economic independence of media or-
ganisations could be gradually achieved, integrating these in a natural way into the international economic system
and rules of conduct.

- it is necessary to constantly monitor the operations of the media at a thorough analysis of reporting may provide se-
rious warnings of impending conflict, at the same time professional guidance should be provided for the successful
development of local independent media;

- it is also necessary to implement projects for raising awareness among all political bodies of the importance of
journalism in the political process of democratisation (often the opposition does not understand the concept of in-
dependent media, seeing them instead as opposition media);

- encouragement for interlinking and networking media initiatives with progressive initiatives by civil movements,
the non-governmental sector, educational institutions, minority organisations and so on, thus advancing and affirm-
ing universal principles.

The combination of all these activities, adjusted to a situation burdened with conflicts, may also correspond to the sug-
gestion of Jamie Metz! in Foreign Affairs for the creation of “information and intervention units" which would engage in
monitoring the information available in war-plagued regions, broadcasting pacifist programs and, “in extreme cases", jam-
ming other broadcasts in order to suppress the hate propaganda and conflict provocation. Some of these initiatives have
already been examined and implemented during the first ten years of Radio B92 and the Association of Independent
Electronic Media (ANEM) - which is now being held up as a possible model for other conflict-plagued regions.

Only those initiatives which have taken root and become an integral part of the social fabric of area in conflict stand a