24.01.2011.

Marking the Day of ODBRANA media center

The ceremony marking the Day of the Media Center's "Odbrana" was held today at the Central Military Club. In his welcome speech, Director of Media Center's "ODBRANA" Lieutenant Colonel Slavoljub Markovic reminded that 24th January 1879 is associated with the establishment of the military press, but with the first issue of Ratnik the first official journal of the Serbian army. In addition, he said, today's ceremony is special because it marks the first anniversary of the Media Center's "ODBRANA" under that name, as a specialized agency of the Ministry of Defence for information and publishing activities.

"Last year was for us a year of reformation, since in the reorganization and rationalization of the ministry of defense, we managed to merge all information and publishing activities into one agency," said Lt. Col. Markovic, adding that this means that journalists, photographers, designers and other employees have been merged into one place a;los rejuvenated with young people.

According to him, reporters and photographers of this polishing house, managed to record more than 600 events with over 30 % more titles than last year, and the doors of the house were opened to 40 000 guests to visit 177 events in 2010. The beginning of this year, as he noted, is marked by an exhibition of paintings of Sava Sumanovic, which has so far been visited by more than 13 000 art lovers.

"We are proud that last year we hosted the EMPA conference-The European Association of Military Journalists, and thus contributed to the development of international military cooperation," said Lt. Col. Markovic, adding that, although the last year has been successful, the work on reorganization is a never ending process, because it is a dynamic system that constantly has to adapt to new requirements.

The Head of the Public Relations Department Navy Captain Petar Boskovic said that "if we managed to at least in part contribute to the reputation of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia, we will assume that that last year was a successful one." The forming of the media center “Odbrana” was emphasized as the most important activity of the year.

Odbrana media center comprises the former institutions such as the Vojnoizdavacki Institut and the Central Military Club. We have formed even the Marketing Group, a part of the Board entered the military presses. Thus we also put everything under one roof. In addition, we have made "A Handbook in Public Affairs" and "Manual for Making Media Appearances”" dedicated to everyone in the defense system. We continued with media trainings, where I would like to single out those who have worked in cooperation with the Jefferson Institute, the media training for the top management of the Ministry and the Army, "as Navy Captain Petar Boskovic remarked.

According to him, the main activities in the previous year were the campaign "Be a pro" and admission process into the Military Academy and Military Grammar School.

"We have had excellent cooperation with the media and we were first presented to the public in a different way shows on national television RTS and Pink. The TV morning shows like "Zikana sarenica" and "Dorbo jutro, Srbijo, sa Jovanom and Srdjanom" are completely dedicated to the defense. WE gave our contribution to the making of all significant series and shows starting with "Selo gori, a baba se ceslja", "Moj rodjak sa sela", "Rani mraz", to the making of the world renowned film "Coriolanus" starring and produced by Ralph Fiennes, to " Montevideo, Bog te video", by Dragan Bjelogrlic" as Boskovic said.

"The priority is the introduction of public relations service, which would allow the defense system a vertical and horizontal mobility of staff all this enriched by the drafts of normative-legal documents including “Communication Strategies in Crisis Situations” in order to promote the concept of internal information in the defense system. By establishing a television studio in this very building, we will complete the facilities of the Media Center, "said Chief of Public Affairs.

As one of the most important tasks for next year Boskovic underscored the transfer of the military printing house into the building of the Military Geographical Institute, which has was first built for that purpose.

State Secretary of Defense professor Zoran Jeftic, PhD said that the Public Relations Department and institutions within it have made a significant contribution in promoting the results of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia in the reformation of the defense system, thus raising the level of professionalism and reputation of the SAF.

"The primary public information contact point is the redesigned website of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces.

The websites had more than five thousand visitors a day, or about two million a year - said Jeftic. As the Secretary said, the website is "Be a pro" for which the Ministry received "Korak napred" award for the innovative use of advertising and media campaign, became the address young people seeing themselves in uniforms in future could refer to and get necessary information.

In addition to the campaign "Be professional," the marketing activities carried out in the promotion of new officers, emblems and designations of the Army of Serbia were also very successful along with the noteworthy cultural events such as the exhibition of Sava Sumanovic and the effective performance in the "Nuit du Publivores" as State Secretary Jeftic said.

Furthermore, as he said, the analysis of 16 000 video reports in the media about the defense system found two percent of negative reports, which is the lowest percentage of negative reports on the defense system in the last five years. The public opinion poll carried out recently has shown that that the army enjoys the greatest trust of the citizens of Serbia, more than 70 percent.

Traditionally, the Odbrana media center awards prizes for outstanding achievements during the previous year. This was the first year that Odbrana had awarded an award to the best TV show which promotes the defense system and the winners were Jovana Jankovic and Srdjan Predojevic, for the show "Dobro jutro Srbijo sa Jovanom and Srdjanom ", aired on May 6 2010 years on TV Pink, to mark 180 years of the Serbian Army Guard which was completely devoted to the defense system and the ongoing reforms.

The panel of judges for the award, "Ivan Markovic," said that this year's competition saw a number of works in the media of very solid production, versatile in theme and genre. The aim of the award is to encourage journalists covering the activities of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia to improve their reporting in national print and broadcast media, to garner public recognition and verification of their work all this in memory of Ivan Markovic, one of the most gifted military reporters and editors at the "Vojska", who died in 2003 aged 43. The panel of judges for the "Ivan Markovic" award was made up of the Dr. Rade Veljanovski, President (Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade), Sanja Lubardic (TV Studio B), Nenad Kovacevic ("Danas" daily), Zvonimir Pesic (a retired colonel, a former director and chief editor of the "Vojska") and Danijela Marjanovic (Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Defence).

"Ivan Markovic" award was presented to the journalist of "Beta" Vojkan Kostic for a documentary television film, "Being a soldier", made in the TV production "EAI", broadcast in the series "Integrations" in the program RTS2 and another 38 local TV stations in the ANEM network. The award, which consists of a plaque and the amount of 60,000 RSD, was presented by the State Secretary of Ministry of Defence Zoran Jeftic.

At the ceremony the award for most prolific military journalist and contributors was awarded and this year the prize went to LT Aleksandar Petrovic and a military analyst Aleksandar Radic, the awards being presented by the Head of the Public Relations Department Navy Captain Petar Boskovic and editor in chief of "Odbrana" Radenko Mutavdzic respectively.

The Serbian Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen Miletic Miloje presented the awards to the best athletes and sports team of the Army of Serbia, elected in the traditional campaign for the best athlete of the year "Odbrana." The jury decided that the best athlete n SAF in 2010. were cadet and judoist Stevan Stojanovic, and the Shooting Club "Akademac" as the best sports team.

The panel of judges consisted of Vuk Rasovic, the president, colonel Dragan Djini, Head of the Department of Military Sports Directorate of the Military Academy, the captain Predrag Zeljkovic, Acting Chief of Physical Training Office in the Department of Training and Doctrine Command (J-7) SAF , Goran Cegar, Sergeant, Officer in the Department of Military Sports Directorate of the Military Academy and Branko Kopunovic, editor of the Media Center "Odbrana".