Should you wish to file a complaint about media content, you can find information on regulators and self-regulators and their complaint mechanisms in this section.
Regulator: Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services
The Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services is an independent, non-profit regulatory body with the status of a legal entity with public competencies. It works in accordance with the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services and, among other duties and responsibilities, ensures the protection and development of pluralism in the sphere of audio and audiovisual media services; takes measures in cases where provisions of the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, or regulations adopted on the basis of the Law and terms and obligations stipulated by the licenses are violated; ensures the protection of minors; adopts acts derived from the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services; ensures the protection of citizens’ interests in the area of audio and audiovisual media services; detects the existence of illicit media concentration; decides on the assignment, extension or revocation of licenses for television or radio broadcasting; encourages media literacy; conducts research and analysis on specific issues concerning audio and audiovisual media services.
Any citizen or legal entity may submit a complaint/reaction to the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services regarding contents aired by radio and television stations, the program packages of the operators and the print media (not about the content of printed texts, but only regarding data published in the Impressum, their editorship, their operational transparency, minors’ protection, etc.). The Аgency is not responsible for online media outlets. Complaints may be submitted against the Agency’s work as well, if, by way of an act adopted or action performed, it has violated somebody’s rights and interests.
Complaint form is available here. Complaints can be submitted by post or the following e-mail: [email protected].
Self-regulation: Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia
Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM) is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organization focused on building and advancing professional and ethical standards in the media through self-regulation, with moral sanctions applied on those who do not observe professional standards and the Code of Journalists.
Among other aims, CMEM seeks to ensure protection of media freedom and the right of public to be informed; prevention of influence of the state, political parties and other centers of power over the media; protection of public interests by providing an independent, efficient and fair process of resolving complaints about the media contents; promotion of quality in the media contents, by adopting clear and practical guidelines in the work of editors and journalists; development of an environment conducive to self-criticism, self-awareness and transparency of the media towards the audience.
Any citizen, legal entity or any other representative of the public, including journalists, can submit a press complaint. It can be filed only against a media outlet, not an individual journalist. Complaints should refer to informative contents in the broadcast, print or online media deemed to have violated the Code of Journalists. A complaint should be submitted no later than 30 days after the piece was published.
