News

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) condemns yet another threat of physical violence against the editor-in-chief and responsible editor of the Žig Info portal, Željko Matorčević, following his publication of an article about so-called "phantom voters" at the address of a funeral home in Grocka. The independent portal "Žig Info" reported that 47 voters were registered at the address Grobljanska 17 in Grocka, which, as stated in the article, "raises serious doubts about the legitimacy of the voter registry." Although he spoke with one of the owners of the funeral home, colleague Matorčević received a phone call from the mother of the other owner, Vesna Dušić, who threatened him with physical violence on the street. When he asked her if he should interpret the call as a direct threat, she confirmed, stating that "she would not sue him, but would personally beat him up on the street."

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) warns that the signal and name of Televizija Forum from Prijepolje were unlawfully and violently seized yesterday, and that instead of the programming of this independent media outlet, the program of the pro-regime TV Informer was broadcasted. ANEM demands that Telekom Srbija halt the illegal actions of the cable operators it owns, such as Supernova, which allowed TV Informer to "override" the signal of TV Forum while retaining the logo of this independent media outlet in the corner of the screen during the all-day live broadcast from the pre-election rally of the "Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia" list held in Čačak. 

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) demands that the relevant authorities – the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and the prosecutor's office – inform the public as soon as possible about the reasons, according to available information, for the search and subsequent sealing of the apartment of Ljubomir Stefanović, the editor of "Slavija info." Stefanović, who addresses topics of general interest and maintains a critical stance towards the current regime in Serbia, has not been reachable by his family and friends for over 24 hours, which has raised significant concern in the public.

The editorial team of the portal Nova.rs is addressing an open letter to the General Director of United Cloud, Dejan Kočić, following reports that the company has been asked to revoke the editorial staff's administrative rights in the CMS, which are necessary for editing and publishing news. We are publishing the letter in its entirety.

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.