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The Tickle File is ftm's daily column of media news, complimenting the feature articles on major media issues. Tickle File items point out media happenings, from the oh-so serious to the not-so serious, that should not escape notice...in a shorter, more informal format.
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Elections are a mirror of societies. In the abstract, they are evidence of popular support for democratic processes. Reality in this post-modern age is more the stuff of Lewis Carroll; “Tea time forever!”
Notable elections were held this past weekend; one in Hungary, one in Serbia. In both, voters returned autocrats. As it does with elections, when invited, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) sent observers. Leaders of the respective OSCE teams reported their conclusions (April 4) finding that the clocks ran on time but the results were distorted. In Hungary this distortion was caused by “the pervasive overlapping of government and ruling coalition's messaging that blurred the line between state and party, as well as by media bias and opaque campaign funding." In Serbia, the OSCE team found, similarly, "an uneven playing field.” (See more about elections and media here)
The vote in Hungary was considered a “landslide” for the right-wing, xenophobic populist Fidesz party of prime minister Viktor Orban, winning 135 seats of 199 in the parliament, reported Reuters (April 4). “The 3 April parliamentary elections and referendum were well administered and professionally managed but marred by the absence of a level playing field,” said the OSCE observer report for Hungary which also noted “bias and lack of balance in monitored news coverage and the absence of debates between major contestants significantly limited the voters’ opportunity to make an informed choice. The observation mission noted that widespread government advertisement campaigns paid from the state budget reinforced the main ruling party campaign messages, providing an undue advantage.” (See more about media in Hungary here)
“The media covered all election participants, but most public and private media companies favored the Serbian president (Aleksandar Vucic) and the ruling coalition and thereby limited the opportunity for voters to be fully informed about the elections,” said OSCE observer coordinator Kyriakos Hadjiyianni at a Belgrade, Serbia press conference. “Regardless of what we can say about election day, neutral reporting on what is going on in the country is probably the most important for democracy and rule of law,” said Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation leader Aleksander Pociej. (See more about media in Serbia here)
Photojournalist Maksim (Maks) Levin was located last Friday. He had been reported missing for more than two weeks. A Ukrainian police patrol discovered his body (April 1) near the village of Huta Mezhyhirska, Kyiv district, Ukraine. His death was due to two shots from small arms. He had traveled to the area to “document the consequences of the Russian aggression,” reported news agency Ukrinform (April 2), accompanied by photojournalist Oleksiy Chernyshov, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Mr. Levin was well-known in Ukraine as part of the Ukraine news portal LB UA editorial staff. In addition, he augmented this work with free-lance assignments from Reuters and AP news agencies, UK broadcaster BBC, Turkish international broadcaster TRT World and Ukrainian newspaper Hromadske. "Every Ukrainian photographer dreams of taking a photo that will stop the< war,” he said in 2014 on the Russian annexation of Crimea. He leaves four young sons, a partner and elderly parents. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy bestowed on him the Order of Courage (April 4) for “personal courage and selfless actions shown during the coverage of the Russian aggression.”
Five other media workers have died under fire during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, noted Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF). The National Press Club (US) reports nine journalists killed covering the Russian invasion. “We ask that his death be investigated as a war crime,” said National Press Club president Jen Judson (April 3). “Targeting of civilians, including journalists, is a war crime.” The Geneva Conventions (1949) protects war correspondents.
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