Aleksandra RadevskaMacedonia

Journalists for human rightswww.detstvo.org.mk

Environmental information on different levels by different stakeholders

• On national level

The Ministry of environment and physical planning is active and visible through:-web sites-monitoring stations-electronic public opinion researches -joining international campaigns -press conferences-educational programs -mobile applications

• On local level -websites-press conferences-promotional activities-”green initiatives”-cooperation with NGOs

• Public participation a crucial link in the chain of quality of environmental information-NGO working groups for public participation-street protests -media coverage-debates-right on free access to information

Gaps,flaws and consequences

Lack of pressure by autorities on longterm pollutants to comply with the law

Partial or non-existing institutional information due to system errors, irregularities, lack of chain responsibility

Institutional abuse of the right to refuse information

Slow communication between authorities and citizens

Inconsistencies in information high in rural areasProblems in jurisdiction

among local authorities and local businesses

Low media coverage of local issues

Media as crisis managers not crisis creators

In-depth reporting on negative influences of certain environmental states causes public awareness, influences perception, but also changes public agenda

For example, a recent research story showed that every year there are 4.500 new cancer cases, considering that two thirds of the year there is air pollution and one third of death cases are due to air pollution

Increased number of cancer cases due to air pollution, consequences on vegetables from soil pollution, toxic chemical waste etc, are topics on which 90 percent of the citizens get information from press and television

However ,environmental information don’t get the spotlight in a climate where press freedom has fallen to 123 place, placing Macedonia 84 steps lower in the last 4 years

Media - educators or “sensationalism” chasers

• Educated public often comes as a critic that can point out when authorities should react according to law. That is why informing the public regularly and thoroughly on topics that affect their wellbeing and the right to healthy life should be among priority subjects in media. Unfortunately media are usually triggered to follow this topics after an NGO campaign or civil action is taken

Changing trends in spreading environmental information There is a trend on reporting

periodically and connected to activities of the governing sector

This year there is rising trend in treatment of subjects of environment in online media, followed by print media, while TV and radio are still least involved

Rising need for bigger visibility of the problems for media as well as for stakeholders, whether in form of actions, controls, educational campaigns, trainings, debates etc.

As quality of information asks for continuous corrections, improvement and intensifying from all stakeholders, perhaps different approach is needed

• Considering constant communication modernization mobile applications turn up as an easy accessible and mass tool for spreading information, as well as social media, facebook, twitter etc.