4.3.3 Decisionmakers and the media

In countries where the media holds a certain level of independence, many media outlets can be an important actor in influencing decisionmaking. As mentioned above, the decision-making process itself is often opened by the influence of public pressure coming from all kinds of media: from the traditional sources of newspapers, TV, and radio and now even more so from social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, or blogs. However, in many countries of the region, substantial numbers of media outlets continue to act more as the public voice of their political and/or corporate masters and are more focused on announcing and defending government positions that have already been made, rather than acting as the checks and balances to such positions. Social media can be especially important in circumstances where there is an attempt to control the broader public discourse or harsh repression on calls for change.

Hence, understanding the level of independence and role of various media outlets is very important in knowing where the power lies, as the reputation and political future of politicians often rests in the hands of the discussions that are brought to the public through the media. Media outlets or particular commentators will often have a particular interest in certain issues or political stances and can be very influential in policy decisionmaking as they hold a lot of leverage. Knowing these potential players is vital to understanding the potential dynamic of a decision. The Mitrovica case illustrates the potential importance of the media in advocacy efforts and how getting it right really matters.