8.3. PROTECTOR OF CITIZENS IN THE MEDIA In 2019 as well, the media in Serbia monitored very closely the operation of the Protector of Citizens. In the reporting year, a number of articles and television reports in the media with national coverage were publicized in comparison to the previous year. The media wrote about the institution primarily on the basis of statements of the protector of citizens, his associates and other participants, on the basis of the statement or in the form of news or report. Reports and information on the activities of the Protector of Citizens in the media were presented in an informatively neutral manner. Articles in newspapers and media reports on initiatives of this institution and oversight procedures of the operation of public authorities were affirmative. With special attention the initiated oversight procedures of the operation of competent authorities in the protection of child rights, employee rights, socio-economic rights, air pollution, establishment of the online media platform for recording of cases of endangerment of safety and pressure on journalists were monitored. In the reporting year the Protector of Citizens analyzed 12 dailies and weeklies in which 312 articles were published, which is by 30 percent more than in previous reporting period. The published articles belong to different genres – comments, auteur articles, announcements, news and statements with regards to the operation of the institution. As in previous years, the daily Danas published most articles with regards to the operation and activities of the Protector of Citizens, then dailies Politika, Večernje Novosti, Blic and Kurir. The most comments to the operation of the institution (13) were published in the daily Danas. During the previous year, the newspapers published seven interviews and auteur articles of the protector of citizens. In the electronic media with national coverage, in programs of nine television stations involved in the video clipping of the Protector of Citizens during the previous year, 201 video reports were published, from news via statements and announcements to the appearance of the protector of citizens, which is almost twice as many times as in 2018. The most of video reports were broadcast by N1 television, Public Media Service (RTS) and Happy television. In the previous year, the protector of citizens and his associates had 34 appearances on tv shows, which is significantly the greatest number since the establishment of the institution. Articles and reports on the operation and attitudes of the Protector of Citizens on topics from his competence were published also in the local media and media portals on a regular basis. Citizens could be informed about everyday activities of the institution at the internet page www.zastitnik.rs. Only in 2019, 250 pieces of information, news and statements were published on the main website of the Protector of Citizens. The information from the specialist fields were published also at specialist subsites (www.pravadeteta.com, www.rodnaravnopravnost.rs, www.pravamanjina.rs, www.osobesainvaliditetom.rs, www.lls.rs). At the internet page of the National Preventive Mechanism (www.npm.rs) 76 pieces of information about the activities of this mechanism in the field of the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatments or punishments and protection and promotion of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty were published. Among published information, there are reports on visits to institutions where persons deprived of their liberty are or may be accommodated and which were published in the reporting year. All information is translated into English and published in the separate section of the NPM Internet presentation (https://npm.lls.rs). - 128 -