Role of mass media in transitional countries is extremely important. Without free media is not possible to achieve democracy. Level of democracy can be exactly measured by media freedom in transitional countries. That's why international community is constantly and carefully monitoring media landscape and evaluating the level of freedom. Media in transitional countries inherited old, Communistic understanding of media. It is so called Soviet media model, when media should serve the ruling, Communistic party and promote Party directives. Professional standards and media freedom are not as important as serving to the Party. Journalists are understood as obedient members of the Party, having main role in keeping the Party line, not reporting on reality and not investigating, not being watch dog of democracy. The new politicians in transitional countries are not any more publicly demanding the same, Communistic relationship to media and journalists. They are promoting media freedom, but at the end of the day they prefer to have their own media and their own journalists, trying to manipulate public and present themselves as positive politicians. International community is trying to encourage journalists and editor to respect professional standards, demanding high quality and ethical principles. In the same time process of globalization came to SEE. International global media companies became the most influential media owners in the region. Public and media expert expected that they will bring not only investments, but also high professional standards. Unfortunately, most of global media companies were profit driven only, practicing worst kind of yellow journalism. This paper will try to analyze the media transition in SEE countries and find the reasons of this negative development. Media in transition Media in transition are characterized as a hybrid between old, soviet media model and Western media based on profit making principles. Old inherited understanding of media as a servant of politicians is still present. Politicians are changing the methods, but having the same control over media. Main difference is that now is not any more only one Party, like in Communism, but several. So, media are serving different political options. It is not visible in comments and opinions only, but mostly in news manipulation. Media consumers are confused and not informed what is really happening in the country. Media market in SEE countries is small due to the economical situation. SEE countries are facing with difficulties in economy. Salaries are small and not sufficient for decent standard. Citizens are faced with limited income. Salaries distribution is simple: food and accommodation. The rest is not sufficient for consuming media or culture. Media companies are faced with poor buyers and small markets. Former Yugoslavia was before country of over 20 millions of inhabitants and it was a good market. Today, new countries are small, having market of 2 or 4 millions of inhabitants. The situation in former Soviet republics is even more dramatic. Costs of media production are almost the same, but because of smaller market income is not sufficient. That's why media managers are turning their attention mostly to market success. They are not any more producing quality media, because their market results are poor, income is small and company is loosing money. Market formula is very simple and it is known in Western media as 3S: sex, sport and scandals. British tabloids or commercial televisions are the pilot model. Journalists are not any more respecting ethical principles and professional standards. All scandals are published; most of them are invented in phantasm of journalists or editors. Television is the most influential media all over the SEE countries. Television is much cheaper than purchasing newspaper. Monthly TV subscription rate in Croatia is less than 10 euro, what is acceptable comparing to 25 euro price of buying daily newspapers. Average salary is about 500 euro, but it is not covering all living costs of 4 members' family. If one would like to pay TV rate and purchase one daily newspapers, one weekly magazine and one monthly revue it would cost about 45 euro. Of course, most of the families are reducing media consumption and prefer television, not newspapers. Television in SEE countries was owned by government. Most of the governmentally owned TV is turning to public TV. In the same time global TV companies as RTL, founded new local commercial TV stations. Most of them are having the same approach and similar program as international commercial TV stations. News is reduced to few minutes, lot of music, soap operas and, of course, all kinds of Big Brother, Survival and similar shows. TV as a public service is not developed or it is old fashioned state owned TV under the influence of ruling party. Newspapers turned to tabloids. Quality press does not exist any more. Group of media experts, researching the quality press in SEE, stated: "Problem of the quality press in Southeast Europe is determined by two key factors: first, the quality press is a media of high public significance, and second, it is an area that is definitively underdevelopment in the region"1 Newspapers are fighting on news stands for each buyer. They are trying to attract buyers' attention by huge headlines and photos. Topics are related to 3S formula: sex, scandals and sport. Tabloidization in SEE is understood as a journalism where truth is not presents, facts are not important and it is not a shame to sell your pen to advertisers. Thousands of private radio stations exist all over the region, from national level to small local radio stations having in one person owner, editor and journalist. This small local radio stations are in some countries, like Croatia, Serbia, B/H and Macedonia, close to the local politicians. Local electronic media explosion is not bringing new, independent voices. It is an example of worst manipulation of media. Internet is the fast developing media, but mostly in urban parts of SEE countries. Rural parts are far away of consuming the new media. It will take time and higher economical standards to enable Internet to become the influential media source. New local media investors are present: local businessmen who became tycoons after suspicious business operations and now they would like to have their own media for image making purpose. Media are also important in local politics. Tycoons are being more influential if they own media and can support some politicians. New power is visible in SEE countries: local politicians are well connecting with tycoons. Tycoons are financing political campaigns, supporting politician using their media. Politicians are enabling tycoon new business operations not respecting usual legal procedure. Very often one can observe in local SEE media manipulation in favor of local politicians. Media in SEE are also good money laundering operation. Nobody is controlling circulation or advertising income of media companies. It is hard to understand how newspapers are surviving having small sold circulation. Or, how can operate local radio or TV station without sufficient ads. But, if they are owned by local tycoon, it is possible. Tycoons are media donors, and they are not supporting media because of public interest. Tycoons are building their empire using media as public support. Local politicians are connected to tycoons. But, they are still strong enough to control themselves media. Media manipulation is present and visible. They are using new manipulation techniques, which are not transparent. Methods of control are: legislation, ownership, hidden advertising and journalists on payroll. Most of the media laws in the region still enable influence of the politics through different governmental institutions. It can be Council of Public TV, appointed by Parliament or Government. Or, Council for Electronic Media, appointed also by Government and which task is to issue frequency license to radio and TV stations. In some countries newspapers' distribution companies or TV transmitters are owned by the Government. Media ownership is also one of the media control channels. Governments are still one of the most influential media owners in SEE, what enables politicians to ensure control of media. More sensitive method is hidden advertising. Media managers are selling their pages or air to advertising companies. Legally, it is not possible, but it is excellent income to media companies. Of course, Media Company became dependent on advertisers and their influence to the editorial policy is visible soon. Old method of control is known from Communism. One who controls editors is controlling media. Editors and eminent journalists are often members of the party, elected to the headquarters. It is obvious that they will realize party policy in editing. But, very often editors and journalists are on hidden payroll of the parties. In that case public does not know how the "independent" editor is, practically, in party service. Globalization in action Globalization of media business in SEE made a significant difference. New investors, big international corporations, brought new understanding of media. Everything is market oriented. Only market results are important. No editorial policy is good if it is not profit making. Market value is what matters, nothing else. Journalists' task is to find as much as possible sensational news. Ethical principles are forgotten. Journalists are forced to intrude privacy, not respect any human rights, no children rights... Editors are forcing journalists to break every rule if it will help them to investigate scandalous story. It became normal to publish photos of dead people, al covered by blood, seeing parts of human body... Or, suicidal photos, even suicidal letter of underage persons. Journalists are manipulated by secret services publishing secretly taped phone conversation even between ill wife in hospital and husband whose son was kidnapped. It is all done under the management of well known international media corporations. Such professional standards were not applied earlier, especially not in Communism. Media consumer cannot recognize anymore what is truth, and what is lie. Very often newspapers are reporting on same event from two diametric different angles, depending on political standpoints company has. International media corporations became important media owner in SEE countries. SEENPM2 conducted research on media ownership and its impact on media independence and pluralism in 18 post-socialist countries. Results are not encouraging: "Local media markets within these countries introduce a special kind o problem. These markets suffer the most serious consequences of media concentration and of the interplay of economic, political and media power concentrated in hands of a single owner. Local media markets are particularly sensitive to various kinds of external pressures. Owing to the limited advertising potential (and local advertisers are also local entrepreneurs and politicians) and dependence on advertising income, it is journalists working for local media who are particularly exposed to strong pressure."3 Global media companies are openly telling how they are not interfering to editorial policy. WAZ is one of the most important media owners in SEE, owning numerous newspapers in many SEE countries. WAZ's role in some countries was extremely negatively evaluated by local media experts, like in Bulgaria. Bodo Hombach, CEO of WAZ said: "The situation with the media in Southeast Europe is rather hard, but wherever we are, the media are stable. We watch journalists' backs, so they can concentrate on their job."4 Nice and encouraging statement, but is it so? "Reporters form all countries emphasized pressure on journalists, particularly economic pressure, and also drew attention to the reduction of their social rights and autonomy"5 Globalization is a world trend and it is almost impossible to stop it. It is natural that SEE countries are also exposed to the process of globalization. SEE countries should find the way how to avoid negative effects of globalization. For them, it is much harder comparing to EU countries, because of the non-developed democracy. In EU countries civil society and public are capable to ensure independent media voices and media pluralism. In SEE countries civil society does almost not exist, role of the public is weak and media tycoons connected to the politicians are untouchable. Double standars Journalists, media experts, NGO representatives and civil society representatives in SEE countries are disappointed by double standards imposed by international community. When Communism fall apart and when SEE countries started their fight for independence, international community tried to help them. This help was most welcome, especially in the media field. In sensitive period of transition, when in many of SEE countries media freedom was almost not existing, international community was only help and important supporter of independent media and journalists. In some countries international assistance to independent media resulted with media freedom and democracy. High professional standards, especially ethical principles, where introduced to the SEE journalists. It was not an easy transformation, but after 15 years it is visible. SEE media environment was in the beginning under the control of local owners. Nobody was surprised by their understanding of media control. Local journalists managed to change the role of the media. When this process started and when it was expected to successfully end, global media companies arrived. Journalists where happy having in mind all good and positive assistant which came earlier from international community. But, media freedom is media freedom and business is business. Journalists where negatively surprised when they realized that they got less rights, less freedom and how many of them were fired by new owners. Double standard was unpleasantly visible: journalists were forced to practice sensationalism, tabloidization and infotainment became keys of success and journalists have fewer rights, no legal contracts, and no education. Education is, maybe, good example of global media companies approach to SEE journalism. Education is key issue and many of journalists in the region are not properly trained. SEENPM members organized hundreds of workshops, seminars and training activities. Most of them were co-financed by international associations, like Open Society Institute, Danish Fresta, German Stiftungs etc. No one was financed by WAZ, the biggest international media owner in SEE region. WAZ participated in only one, last spring in Zagreb, Croatia, but it was failure. In the same time WAZ is buying new companies, spreading its empire and getting stronger, bigger and much more influential in SEE. Double morality of the international community regarding to media in transition has negative impact. International community is pulling out of the region, saying that there is no need to be present, when media landscape is stabilized by presence of global media companies. Donors fatigue is visible, funds are smaller and smaller, independent media subject are getting less assistance and it is not yet possible to become self-sustainable. Tabloids and infotainment are making a lot of money, but no developing quality media or respecting professional standards. Results are negative and in some countries is lees pluralism than during the autocratic government before. There is one possible solution, suggested by international community also: force global companies to respect journalists, professional standards, ethics and all other attributes of journalism. Unfortunately, local politicians are already well connected to global companies creating new force and neglecting media standards. Development of SEE media and pluralism are very much dependant on solving of this double morality and double standards. References Exit from Censorship, ed. Lani, Remzi, European Journalism Training Association, Council of Europe and Albanian Media Institute, Tirana 2001, Malovi?, Stjepan and Selnow, Gary: The People, Press and Politics of Croatia, Praeger Publishers, Westport, Connecticut, London, 2001 Malovic, Stjepan: The Role of the Media in Democratization of the Post:Communists States, Based on Croatian Experiences, published in �The Role of the Mass Media and of the New Information and Communication Technologies in the Democratisation Process of Central and Eastern European Societies, edited by Ioan Horga and Renaud de La Brosse, Bruxelles, 2002 Media Ownership and its Impact on Media Independence and Pluralism, ed. Brankica Petkovic, SEENPN i Peace Institute, Ljubljana, 2004 Quality Press in Southeast Europe, ed. Orlin Spassov, Sudosteuropaisches Medienzentrum, Sofia 2004 www.ifj.org Stepan Malovic, Croatia, International Center for Education of Jopurnalists, Zagreb

Stepan MALOVIC