The IPI condemned the campaign against Veran Matić and called for the removal of "defamatory content."
The International Press Institute (IPI) from Vienna has condemned, as stated, the unacceptable smear campaign against their Media Freedom Hero in the world, Veran Matić, and called on those behind the recent attacks to immediately remove the "defamatory content."
In their statement, they add that an unethical documentary film directed against Matić has been aired in a coordinated manner on pro-government media channels in recent weeks.
"The film, produced by an obscure organization linked to the state, contains numerous inaccurate and sensationalist accusations and employs dangerous rhetoric," stated IPI.
They assert that they stand firmly with Matić, who, as a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists and the president of the Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), "remains one of the strongest advocates for media freedom and independent journalism in Serbia."
Matić previously received the annual IPI award "Media Freedom Hero in the World," in recognition of his decades-long tireless work advocating for a free press.
"IPI warns that the current smear campaign is part of a broader, politically motivated attack on Matić's reputation and comes after he was publicly targeted by the President of Serbia last year. The documentary film represents yet another concerning example of the toxicity of public discourse in Serbia, where independent journalists are subjected to coordinated discrediting, and the safety of journalists and media freedom remain in crisis. IPI and our global network of editors, journalists, and media leaders express their ongoing support for Matić in the face of these escalating pressures," IPI emphasizes.
