The Slovenian Media Association (SZM) welcomes the government’s efforts to modernize media legislation but simultaneously expresses concern that the draft of the new Media Law (ZMed-1) introduces changes that could open the door to political influence and threaten journalistic independence and the economic sustainability of Slovenian media.
The most problematic aspects of the law include:
- The process of granting financial support to the media, as the association believes that the law must ensure systemic transparency and political independence in fund allocation and establish a mechanism that minimizes the risk of arbitrary decision-making.
- The process of state advertising, where the lack of clear rules increases the risk of arbitrary decisions in advertising, allowing for different interpretations and potential discrimination against certain media outlets.
- The broad powers of the Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS), as the new law would grant AKOS extensive authority to make sensitive decisions regarding media distribution, content, and ownership concentration in the media sector. This poses a significant risk of political influence (especially given that the government directly appoints the director and council members of AKOS) and could undermine media independence.
Poorly defined incompatibility of advertising and media activities, which could lead to a misinterpretation that a publisher or an affiliated entity is not allowed to commercialize its own content. Every publisher, as a business entity, includes advertising as part of its activities. If the legislator aims to prevent ownership ties between media outlets and advertising agencies, this should be explicitly stated in the law.
