СЛОБОДА МЕДИЈА И УНИВЕРЗАЛНА ЉУДСКА ПРАВА
FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA AND UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Summary/Abstract: In the domain of the media, a prominent position is reserved for universal human rights that imply the right to freedom of thought and expression, as well as the fact that every human being is entitled to demand, receive, and disseminate information and ideas through any means available, including public media, and regardless of borders. The UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights is one of key international documents within the context of the media regulation, that is, the harmonization of the respective national legislation regulating the area with the aforementioned document. Taking this as a starting point, the paper focuses on an analysis of the respective media legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska in relation to the said declaration and on examining the extent to which principles of free operation of professional communicators are respected, including the principles that imply primary indicators of the level of their appreciation, such as the principles of veracity, objectivity, and justice. The paper aims at determining the normative context and the actual state of the affairs in journalistic practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the Republic of Srpska in terms of respecting the principle of freedom as a necessary requirement for professional performance of the media, that is, for its professional performance in public interest. In contemporary society, the professional and free media represents a significant prerequisite for the exercise of human rights, since it, as the dominant source of information, implies numerous functions which, depending on the level of its freedom and professionalism, may, on the one hand, prove socially beneficial, or, on the other, troublesome within the context of contribution to social values and interests. In this respect, the media, if used properly and responsibly, the media represents one of major prerequisites of modern day education. In accordance with the subject matter and the goals stated, the research is based on three techniques: a thematic analysis of the national regulatory and self-regulatory framework relevant for the exercise of the freedom of media, a questionnaire, and an interview.

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