RS Journalists' Association condemns Dodik's address to journalist Vladimir Kovačević

The Journalists' Association of Republika Srpska condemns the personal address of the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, to the journalist of Radio-Television BN, Vladimir Kovačević, and expresses concern over such an act. The RS Journalists' Association reminds public officials that the job of a journalist, as a worker in public thought and speech, is to seek answers to questions that
they consider to be in the public interest.

"There is a possibility that someone holding a public office may be asked a question to which they have no answer, but there is no justification for responding to such a question with insults and making
qualifications against the journalist and/or the media outlet for which the journalist works. Accordingly, public officials have no right to qualify journalists in any way and/or to treat them in a manner that deviates from the norms of decent, civil, and mutually respectful relations.

The basic rules of interpersonal relations should be given special attention by holders of directly elected positions, because they are the ones who represent the community as a whole and dictate trends," the RS Journalists' Association stated. 

BN Television also issued a press release condemning Dodik's address to their employee.

"Instead of protecting the journalist and asking the authorities to find the masterminds who tried to kill Vladimir Kovačević, Milorad Dodik today unleashed a verbal 'barrage' on Kovačević, who was just doing his job. With this terrible act, Dodik put a target on the foreheads of all BN TV employees and thus called for a lynching. It is shameful that Dodik, who holds the highest state office, attacks journalists who are just doing their job. With this, Dodik showed his powerlessness, that he has no answers to the questions that BN TV journalists ask him on behalf of the public," is part of BN TV's reaction.