Fourth report on monitoring of media reporting on the work of the Parliament

The key finding from the fourth report on monitoring the media reporting is that during the monitored period, from 1 to 31 December, the media increased the reporting on the parliamentary debates, compared to November and October. Only in the period 19 June – 30 September, the media dedicated somewhat more attention to the discussions, arguments and views of the MPs. In addition, the procedure for revoking the Opposition MPs’ mandates and the amendments to the Law of High Education, caused the biggest interest for discussion.

In December, the media published somewhat more information, where MPs from only one political option are cited as sources, rather than information where MPs both from the Government and the Opposition are cited simultaneously. However, the percent of such information is at the lowest level, since the beginning of the monitoring. On the other hand, the percent of information where MPs both from the Government and the Opposition are simultaneously cited as sources, reached the highest level up till now.

Sources for most of the published information monitored in the fourth report of monitoring of media’s coverage in December were MPs from only one political side. Most of times from active and elected MPs from the opposition who did not accept the mandates, compared to MPs from the leading coalition. The percentage of information where sources were both from the majority and the opposition reduced by half compared to the previous monitoring periods.

In December, newspapers and televisions once again mentioned the Assembly primarily in the context of the broader political situation in the country, the boycott of the Assembly by the coalition at the opposition led by SDSM and the procedure for revoking the mandates of elected MPs from the opposition. The media informed considerably less about the content of debates and the arguments brought by MPs during plenary sessions and sessions of the parliamentary committees.

Therefore, the public was rarely informed about the events in the Assembly, topics on the agenda and the arguments brought about by the MPs in discussing pending legislations.

The most frequent sources of information published in the media about the Assembly originated from the MPs. But, this percent decreased compared to the two previous monitoring period (19 June - 30 September and October). In December, the media increasingly named as sources of information on the work of the Assembly representatives of the Government and foreign experts who commented on the Parliament’s work.

Newspapers presented many more pieces of information regarding the Assembly than televisions.