News

Civic initiatives and the "Slavko Ćuruvija" Foundation today addressed the Culture and Information Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia with a request to halt the process of determining the final list of candidates and proposers for members of the REM Council until numerous irregularities are resolved.

The Zoomer journalist Darko Gligorijević has been released from the police station in New Belgrade.

The process of selecting members of the REM Council is scandalous – the previous one was terrible, and this one is even worse, says Ivana Stevanović from the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, adding that it seems to her that we will end up with a REM that is the same or worse than before. She also adds that REM is one of the levers of power and that it was difficult to expect that it would be relinquished.

A Zoomer journalist has been placed under police detention today on suspicion of violating Article 7 of the Law on Public Order and Peace during last night's incident in the Students' City, when student Miloš Pavlović was attacked, announced this youth portal.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Proposal for the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Public Media Services at today's session. The aim of these amendments is to improve the operation of public media services, ensure greater accountability to users, and stabilize funding.

New Niš TV, although without the necessary approval from the REM and the consent of the Niš Assembly to use the city's name, continues to broadcast its program. The city’s Attorney General's Office states that they have received a request regarding the name of the television station, but their response, if there will be one, will have to wait for prior confirmation from the Niš Parliament and their order for any measures to be taken. How it is possible to broadcast without a permit is unclear even to the Ministry of Information, as they claim to have "no knowledge" of a new television station being established in Niš, even though the president of the country, who was also the first guest, is aware of it.

The gminfo portal has rejected the funds allocated this year through the competition for co-financing projects for the production of media content in the field of public information for the year 2025, which was announced by the municipality of Gornji Milanovac.

The media of the two local media moguls are known for reporting in Serbian, but that was no obstacle. The Ministry of Information left only crumbs for the true minority media.

The siege of KRIK shows no signs of weakening this month. Yesterday, a hearing was held regarding the lawsuit for damages filed by Jelena Tanasković, accused in the case of the canopy collapse in Novi Sad that resulted in the deaths of 16 citizens. She is seeking 1 million dinars for emotional distress; in a few days, there will be a hearing in the proceedings where she is claiming the same amount in damages. The day after that, there will be civil proceedings based on the lawsuit from Judge Dušanka Đorđević and her husband, attorney Aleksandar Đorđević, who are demanding 760,000 dinars in compensation. At the end of the month, there will be a hearing regarding the third lawsuit from Koluvija. Imagine a newsroom with no more than ten journalists who must devote immense time and resources to pursuing legal actions because of their revelations.

**Author: Veran Matić**