By: Združenje novinarjev in publicistov / Association of Journalists and Publicists
The decision by the editor-in-chief of TV Slovenija’s news programme, Polona Fijavž, to prevent Urška Cankar Soares from appearing on the show Intervju is scandalous and, from a journalistic standpoint, unacceptable. By doing so, she has opened the door to discrimination, new divisions, and an “us versus them” mentality on public television.
Urška Cankar Soares is the coordinator of the Slovenian Marches for Life, which are demonstrations advocating for the sanctity of life, the importance of families, and traditional values. These marches are a distinctly non-violent way of expressing viewpoints within Slovenian society. They are conducted with tolerance and in accordance with existing laws, which cannot be said for their opponents.
Recently, Urška Cankar Soares has become an important motivator and influencer, with many people following her calls and positions. As such, she is undoubtedly a compelling interview subject, even for a public media outlet, where, however, the doors are practically closed to her.
When journalist and host Jože Možina tried to open those doors by inviting her to appear on the show Intervju, editor-in-chief Polona Fijavž prohibited the already scheduled appearance. The reasons she gave are simply astonishing, with the main one being that the guest represents views and values that are allegedly contrary to the Slovenian constitution. This is a clear misuse of the constitution, the highest legal document in the country, as a tool to deal with those whose views fall outside the left-wing activist propaganda framework.
It is the Constitutional Court that determines what is or is not in line with the constitution, and alarm bells should ring when a public media editor-in-chief takes on this authority to prevent an already arranged recording. The role of editors and journalists is not to judge what is constitutional or not, or who is violating the constitution, but to impartially present the different viewpoints that exist in the public on a particular issue. This is especially true for public television, which is funded by all of us.
On public television, many regular guests, including left-wing extremists, have openly called for violations of constitutional principles, particularly during the pandemic when it came to protecting health and life. The highest representatives of the former regime, who acted against the principles of democracy, also regularly appear on this medium.
It is appropriate that public media is open to the cultured expression of different viewpoints, opinions, concepts, and ideas. However, this latest example shows that the times of blatant discrimination, based on the fact that someone supports views contrary to those embraced by RTV Slovenija’s leadership, have not yet ended – or, worse, are making a comeback.
The decision by editor-in-chief Polona Fijavž to interfere with Jože Možina’s editorial autonomy represents an unacceptable violation of at least two inalienable and constitutionally guaranteed rights: equality before the law and freedom of speech. It also infringes on the public’s right to be informed, especially since the editor-in-chief intervened pre-emptively, before the content of the show could even be evaluated.
For these reasons, the Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP) expects the immediate resignation or dismissal of the editor-in-chief. This would at least somewhat mitigate the embarrassment, which could otherwise have greater consequences for the reputation of journalism and the state of media freedom in Slovenia.
ZNP Board of Directors, October 17, 2024