Badly "Organized" News of a Well Organized Madness

B&H is a multinational environment with three equal nations. National movements are growing in Yugoslavia which will, objectively speaking, bring B&H to the brink of disintegration. Viewers will to a greater or lesser extent commit themselves according to national affiliation and in this way watch television. What then is the task of Television Sarajevo?

We agreed not to comment - just report; not to interpret but just supply the facts.

For a long time viewers expected to hear from us only the truth they themselves wanted. This is how they were "instructed" by the national parties. Our aim is the opposite - to endeavor to get people used to hearing the other side. The basic principle was PROGRAMME CANDOR. For this reason TVSA every day transmits three news programs: TVSA News, HTV (Croatian TV) and TVS (TV Serbia) News (alternately on the second programme) and YUTEL.

This policy in the beginning won fierce criticism - out of five of the letters on my desk each day, four, until the middle of last year, criticized TVSA from different national points of view.

Sometime from the middle of last year up to today the situation completely changed so that out of five letters, four offer unreserved support and only one criticize TVSA, once again from different national points of view.

This kind of commitment was very noticeable in the past days of drama in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It all began on april 5. Feeling the tension and atmosphere of war, RTSA in its programme constantly repeated its own appeal that officials get together and come to an agreement, that all arms be put down, that all bodies of the republican government begin non-stop meetings to prevent war. On the other hand, the people asked of us that we lead them onto the streets. We did not dare to do this because the profession of journalism is then formally transformed into a political force, an element of power. The constant repetition of the call to the leading parties in the military command of Sarajevo bore fruit. Around 5 in the afternoon they came to the Television Sarajevo studio, together with representatives of the European observers. At the end of one hour an agreement was reached, I informed the public and a lull began in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On the morning of the same day citizens of Sarajevo set off on foot to the B&H Parliament, defenseless, unarmed - women, children, the old - to stop war breaking out. As soon as this movement appeared, Television Sarajevo began live coverage of the people coming out onto the streets. We had cameras inside the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in front of the Parliament, in the center of town and in front of the Holiday Inn hotel, as well as in front of the RTV building. The basic principle of television journalism, to be PRESENT, was carried out.

And I was able to take a breathe. There were calls from the SDA and SDS parties wanting to let the public know their standpoints. I refused: "either you all come to calm the people, or no-one comes".

No-one came. They call again from SDA - and I again refuse.

Coverage of the national parliament of B&H which has lasted three days and two nights, has, wonders will never cease, united the national parties. They all agree that this coverage by Television Sarajevo is undermining the government. Old communist phrases. Television, which simply TRANSMITS, is guilty.

The pressure is awful. Everything is disintegrating except RTSA: in B&H there is not a single institution that still functions - POLICE FORCE, GOVERNMENT, PRESIDENCY, PARLIAMENT...

People continue to call, in panic and frantic. Even about things that have nothing to do with RTSA. The frightened seek allies, a leader, peace. They have found neither first, second nor third. They have been left on their own, alone with RTSA.

Charges are constantly being brought against us.

SDS says we are carrying out a "war-mongering editorial policy", though we non-stop screen "PEOPLE OF B&H UNITE AGAINST WAR. DON'T SHOOT".

The SDA MPs in the B&H Parliament declare that "TV has tried to carry off a coup". And all we're doing is showing what is happening in front of the Parliament.

At the same time, reporters from Belgrade Television and HTV lie shamelessly in their reports to their studios. Each one obeys his commander and his national politics. They write what they are told to. They create an atmosphere to make the volunteer units in Croatia and Serbia want to fight on the territory of B&H and tear it apart. The war in Bosnia is being fought by people who don't even live here.

(The author if the Editor-in-Chief of RTSA)