ANEM ALARM: SPS Official in Vranje Insults InfoVranjske Editor and His Family

In his Facebook status, which has since been removed from his profile, Stanojević referred to Stojković as a “Teletubby,” and additionally mentioned other members of his family in a negative context. Along with the aforementioned insult, the editor of the InfoVranjske.rs portal was also called a “Pig with bulging eyes,” “a fool,” and so on.

“The Teletubby is similar to a pig because of its bulging eyes and large belly, and its character resembles that of an unruly goat,” wrote Darko Stanojević.

Such insults directed at the editor-in-chief of the InfoVranjske.rs portal represent Stanojević's reaction to an article published on the portal regarding his involvement in pressuring people to attend a rally organized on Saturday at 5 PM.

Members of the Development and Integration Team, under which InfoVranjske operates, informed representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia about this attack, as well as a contact point at the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Vranje. In addition to these institutions, the City Board of the Socialist Party of Serbia and the collegium of the Health Center in Vranje were also notified.

ANEM considers such behavior by politicians and officials toward journalists and media as unacceptable in a democratic society, as these messages and insults can be viewed as political pressure on the work of local media and can also contribute to endangering the safety of journalists.

We remind you that this year has recorded a record number of threats, pressures, and physical assaults on media representatives, partially due to the negative atmosphere caused by the targeting of media by the highest state officials and pro-government tabloids and television stations.

Disturbing and offensive messages, such as the one directed by the official of the ruling coalition party, typically turn into an avalanche that directly threatens the safety of journalists and creates a sense of fear for their families and editorial teams.

ANEM once again appeals to representatives of the authorities and ruling parties to immediately cease incendiary rhetoric toward journalists, as this exerts pressure on the professional work of the media and encourages others to feel free to threaten and attack media representatives.

Veran Matić, President of the Management Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists

The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists" is implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union, the Balkan Fund for Democracy, and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia.

The OSCE Mission in Serbia has supported ANEM's project "24/7 SOS Hotline for Assistance to Journalists and Other Vulnerable Media Workers," within the EU-funded project "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia."