Slovenian Ministry Accused of Bias in Awarding Media Funding

Slovenian journalists unions have criticised the Culture Ministry after a release of the results of the annual tender for co-financing media programs in 2021 revealed that several known radio stations, newspapers and investigative media outlets will not get any funds.

The Slovenian Journalists' Association, DNS, on Wednesday said it suspected that the expert committee evaluating the applicants was biased and "unprofessional".

The DNS said it had "followed with concern" the announcements of several media outlets that they had not succeeded in the competition, and said after the ministry's results were published, that "allegations of bias and questionable professionalism of the committee's decisions were fully justified".

Among the outlets that did not receive any money is Radio Student, one of Europe's oldest and strongest non-commercial radio stations. Its editor-in-chief, Matjaz Zorec, called the decision "unprofessional" and "political".

"In our opinion, we also fell out of favour with [Prime Minister's Janez] Jansa government … That's the strongest financial blow I recall at this radio," Zorec told BIRN.

He explained that the ministry funds were used to finance the main daily program, including the information, scientific and music programs. Now they need to cut back and, in autumn, "radically restructure" their program, he said.

Radio Student said it had also got "ever lower funds" from its founder, the Student Organisation of the University of Ljubljana, SOU. After disputes with SOU at the beginning of the year, it was agreed that 84,000 euros would be allocated to Radio Student; the year before the sum was 120,000 euros.