ANEM joins the protest of journalists from Nova.rs.
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.
Journalists from the portal Nova.rs have strongly opposed the decision to change the management and have clearly stated that they do not grant legitimacy or trust to the new editor. The company's board of directors, in a statement to the editorial team, urged journalists to remain with the company, promising support for independent and critical reporting, as well as a "more favorable offer for journalists who choose to leave." The severance package offered amounts to "double the legal minimum severance pay in Serbia," while journalists have been given less than 48 hours to decide on their professional future. We remind you that the European Commission, in its recommendations on internal measures to protect the editorial independence of the media, states that members of the editorial team or their representative bodies should be consulted when appointing the editor-in-chief and responsible editor, and that the media management and editorial team should agree on the procedure for these consultations.
The seizure of editorial control over Nova.rs represents a serious blow to media freedom in Serbia. It is unacceptable that journalists are faced with an ultimatum to either accept this situation or leave the newsroom, whereby their existential security is used as a means of pressure and subordination of the editorial team to a new editorial policy. ANEM recognizes the courage and professional integrity of the journalists at Nova.rs who have resolutely defended the independence of their editorial team. Their struggle is not only for the preservation of professional dignity and editorial autonomy but also for the right of the citizens of Serbia to free, independent, and credible information. We join our colleagues in their protest and offer them our full support in defending professional integrity and editorial independence.
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