Which women, which age, which radio station?

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Letter from RTCG journalist Tanja Šuković to the President of the Council of that media outlet

Dear professor, doctor, assistant professor Veselina Drljević, President of the Council,

Dear Defendant,

I will skip the planned introductory letter because the situation is extremely dramatic. And delicate. I fear that the worst has happened. It broke! You know that I am a serious journalist, a researcher, so to speak, I only deal with verified information, from reliable sources. And, what are our findings? The assistant professor and the General have joined in! Is that possible!? We have some piquancy, but I still wouldn't. We have to keep a certain level. It will be heard!

I followed yesterday's Council session and here, right away, "hands in the dough". And now I will brag so you can see how hardworking I was.

I followed all of yesterday's reports, and then, in order to check with my own eyes and ears how you found yourself where you are, I also watched the several-hour sessions of the Administrative Board from 2021, at which you presented (I mean the other members of the Council) visions for the development of RTCG. The thing is, the visions were a bit blurry, but it was spring, and that allows for a little levity and ambiguity in verbalization and written form. All in all - those performances are priceless! I would have a hard time forgiving myself if I had missed that treasure.

All in all, to please you - I work tirelessly and research, because a book doesn't write itself. Is that right? After all, you'll see. The first copy, with all the dedication, is going to you. I won't go further, so as not to spoil the surprise. Did I mention the documentary? Never mind, you'll hear.

And now let's go back and follow the action. The venue - a multimedia hall in the RTCG building, the happening - a Council session. I must note that the event was designed roughly like this – let's all jump on Marijana Camović-Veličković. In jumping, some of your colleagues have also excelled, besides you, so it is not right to neglect that and not pay them due attention. I will be quick.

Since the course of the discussion went in the direction of - We all, except Marijana, think we are phenomenal, the conclusions were adopted by the tactic of when she (Marijana) speaks, the rest of the Council and of course the General, rushing towards her in the manner of "one head, nine tongues".

Let's specify some striking statements of our Illegal that were disputed. With Marijana. As far as I hear, Bobi did not blink when he very resolutely announced that "there is not a single person in RTCG who is inadequately assigned". Dear Boris, even if we abstract your disgust towards the court and court decisions, how do we treat final judgments that you have illegally assigned someone to a certain job? How do you justify signing an order for RTCG to pay court costs and, God willing, very soon, and the difference in salary? What do you suggest? On Monday, as soon as it gets dark, I go to the judge and say that Boris sent me to tell you that the verdict is invalid? Shall we do it that way, or do you have another idea? These are more of rhetorical questions, so you pass it on to him, because Bobi hasn't spoken to me since I sued him for mobbing.

And speaking of mobbing, I would say that you are particularly sensitive about it. So much so that the mere mention of that word brings out an unprecedented ferocity from all of you. Cases of these indecent acts were mentioned at the Council session, and an example was highlighted that "about a dozen women of certain ages were transferred from television to radio". Bobi has never heard of it. He has no idea about it. Which women, what age, which radio station? Someone has again planted decisions on him to sign. The respected members of the Council are appalled that someone (read Marijana) can state such "falsehoods". After all, isn't it completely logical that someone who has worked as a television journalist all their life, without explanation, would be transferred to radio? There's nothing strange about Vala. And the fact that it happened that these are female journalists of a certain age is completely coincidental. Well, is it? I believe everything about Nezakonit. And I was really touched by how colleagues from the Council jumped to his defense... That's how we got to them.

After reviewing the aforementioned archival material, from the 2021 session of the Administrative Board, I admit that I can't help but wonder why I neglected the respected members of the Council Milica Špajak and Amina Murić. Admittedly, I had read their biographies on the RTCG website even earlier. But what can I tell you? They are very extensive, so in the end you don't know what you've read. It's, to put it bluntly, like a menu in a better restaurant where they explain on a dozen pages why there's only a grain of something on your huge plate. You are in vain reading what is there, when you do not see any of it on your plate. If you understand what I mean.

Now. Distinguished ladies Špajak and Murić, it is an understatement to say that they excelled when presenting their visions for the development of RTCG, now in 2021.

Ms. Špajak, at that time, pointed out that part of her vision was “building the capacities of journalists and management”. It is probably a long and exhausting process, so we have to wait our turn. I am still waiting for the distinguished lady Špajak to work on “building capacities”. We will mention another ingenious proposal by the distinguished member of the Council. Well, she proposed, in her words , a new - previously unseen - approach in the media: for a member of a minority community to "tell a story" in a DIRECT conversation with a journalist. Interesting! Yes, that is really useful advice, because until now we have probably been sending questions to our interlocutors via carrier pigeons, and then waiting for answers. Also via pigeons. There was no DIRECT conversation, which is why the program was no good. Those were the times.

Ms. Murić, when presenting her vision, focused more on overcoming divisions and differences. So she shared a rather personal experience. Namely, she said that she came to Podgorica from Rožaje and that it changed her life because she "met new cultures, and her friends got to know her cultures". I don't know how to understand that now. If Rožaje is in India, it would be a shame for such a cultural shock.

Well, the respected Ms. Murić's long-time director was Boris Raonić himself, and now she is in some way his superior, which is a kind of trauma in itself. One should be understanding.

Well, we are all well and good. Let me give you just one very graphic example of editorial policy, which I caught on the fly. It is a quiz show, which I don't like very much, but the mention of Čakor automatically made my finger lock on the remote. You understand, roots are roots. Anyway, the question asked to the contestants was in which country Čakor is located. The contestants knew something about it, but they weren't sure, so then the host read them the "correct" answer. And it was: Čakor is a mountain that borders Serbia!? For the Public Service of European Montenegro, Kosovo is Serbia! For God's sake, if they don't plan to withdraw the recognition of Kosovo, will Nik Đeljošaj and Ervin Ibrahimović withdraw those joyful congratulations to Bobi when he became General?

So, the editorial policy is - let's get away with petty meanness, ignore reality, and maybe it will pass!

May God grant you wisdom and patience, thank you.

Tanja Šuković, Public Service employee