ANEM ALARM: By attacking Magdalena Kostić, the SNS demonstrates that it does not want objective monitoring of the electoral campaign.
The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) strongly condemns the attack on journalist Magdalena Kostić from the Media and Reform Center in Niš (MRCN), who was surrounded and verbally harassed by members of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) while carrying out her journalistic assignment. Kostić attempted to conduct a survey with the citizens of Niš at the market in Durlan, where both SNS and the Student List had set up stands on the same day. During her attempt to talk to citizens and report from the field where supporters of the ruling party and the Student List were located, four men approached Kostić, surrounded her, asked her who she was, why she was filming, and told her that she was provoking.
The Chairman of the Board of ANEM, Veran Matić, believes that the regime's attack on Kostić signals the start of a pre-election campaign filled with violence against journalists, field reporters, and other media workers.
“The SNS is intentionally obstructing objective reporting with such attacks, refusing to allow and wanting journalists to perform their duties, which, for all those who adhere to the Ethical Code, is always and exclusively in the public interest. The citizens of Serbia have the right to know and receive information from all sides, yet professional journalists working in the public interest are typically discriminated against, threatened, and subjected to violence. During the local elections coverage in Kosjerić, a cameraman from N1 was attacked, while colleagues from Glas Zaječara and N1 were prevented from covering an SNS gathering in Jelašnica ahead of President Vučić's arrival, resulting in their physical removal from the event. Journalists covering the local elections in Kosjerić, Zaječar, and Bor were exposed to attacks, insults, and threats. It seems that the authorities will not relent in their intimidation of journalists and their prevention from reporting objectively and performing their duties, not even in this pre-election campaign,” said Matić.
ANEM is calling on the competent prosecutor's office to order the police to conduct investigative actions regarding the attack on journalist Magdalena Kostić in order to identify and prosecute the perpetrators.
Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)
The project “Enhancement of the system mechanism for prevention and response in cases of threats to the safety and lives of female and male journalists in Serbia” is being implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for Development of Local Media, with support from the European Union.
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