News

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) joins the protest in front of the Nova.rs editorial office at Bulevar Zorana Đinđića 8a, scheduled for 6 PM. Journalists at the Nova.rs portal are being existentially and professionally blackmailed to decide within less than 48 hours whether to accept the new management and the new editor-in-chief, Marko Stjepanović, who comes from the tabloid Blic. This is why they will gather in front of the editorial office today to protest. Such imposition of editorial changes, despite the journalists' opposition, represents an open pressure on the editorial team, blackmail, and an attempt to discipline it just before the parliamentary elections on October 25. ANEM calls on colleagues from other media outlets to join the protest so that together we can send a clear message that we do not accept blackmail, pressure, attempts to discipline journalists, censorship, and the imposition of authority by those who have violated ethical and professional standards of journalism through their previous work.

The General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Ricardo Gutierez, stated that what he described as the brutal takeover of the portal Nova.rs represents the latest episode in a wave of repression in Serbia. He emphasized that the EFJ provides full support to the editorial staff of the Nova.rs portal.

The portal tvlim.rs has been officially registered with the Agency for Business Registers (APR) as a local media outlet in Prijepolje. As ANEM has previously reported, the publisher of this new portal is the company Infolim LLC, which was registered at the end of September by the company Best Media Team, owned by the publishers of the tabloids Alo and Informer (Alo Media System and Insajder Tim).

Of nearly two billion dinars of public money that has flowed into the media just this year, a significant portion has ended up in the accounts of editorial offices that regularly violate professional standards and spread misinformation. The propaganda conducted by pro-regime media is not only recognized by what is published but often also by what is systematically omitted.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has reported to the Special Public Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime (VTK) a threat of severe violence directed at Nemanja Šarović, the host of KTV from Zrenjanin and leader of the political movement founded in 2020. The contentious comment was made under a post on ANEM's Instagram profile, which condemned the police's prevention and obstruction of the KTV team from reporting on a public gathering of supporters of the ruling party. Such a threat poses a serious risk to Šarović's safety, especially considering that it followed an incident in which members of the riot police physically pushed back the KTV team, who reported being subjected to assaults by police officers. ANEM has requested the prosecutor's office to establish the identity of the individual who made the comment and to prosecute them.

A meeting was held in the offices of the Nova.rs editorial team with representatives from journalistic and media organizations, including the Coalition for Media Freedom (NUNS and the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation), UNS, and ANEM, regarding events in recent days that have raised serious concerns among employees about the future and editorial independence of the portal.

The Coalition for Media Freedom condemns the attacks and obstruction faced by ZOOMER correspondent Alekse Nikolić and Pravo u centar associate Tanja Dimitrijević while reporting in front of the National Theatre in Niš.

Journalists and media representatives describe how unfounded legal proceedings, online threats, and physical attacks have increased in recent years.

After the text was published, I received inappropriate messages from Koluvija every day. He wanted to meet, to go for drinks and take walks. He manipulates emotional pain. Someone who is emotionally hurt cannot send me such messages, said the author of the text, Sara Smolović, during the trial in the case of Predrag Koluvija against KRIK.