Increased funding to state-owned news agency threatens existence of privately-owned media, says WAN

North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia)
This article is more than 21 years old

World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

26 September 2003

1 minute read

(WAN/IFEX) – In a 25 September 2003 letter to Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their concern over the government’s consideration of a request to provide increased funding to the state-owned Macedonian News Agency (MIA). According to reports, MIA, which already dominates the market in news agency services, recently […]

(WAN/IFEX) – In a 25 September 2003 letter to Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their concern over the government’s consideration of a request to provide increased funding to the state-owned Macedonian News Agency (MIA).

According to reports, MIA, which already dominates the market in news agency services, recently asked the state assembly to finance its running expenses of about 730,000 euros (approx. US$839,000). WAN and the World Editors Forum are seriously concerned that by providing further financial support to MIA, the government would be reinforcing the near-monopolistic position already enjoyed by the state-owned news agency.

WAN and the World Editors Forum noted that the provision of a state subsidy of this kind would distort the market of news agency services in Macedonia. It would directly threaten the existence of the privately-owned news agency Makfaks and suppress other private initiatives in this area.

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