"I don't have a backup profession; this is my way of fighting!" says Marie Popović, editor of the portal "Pravo u centar" from Lazarevac.

In an interview for ZOOMER, the editor-in-chief of the portal, Maria Popović, discusses what it is like to run an independent local media outlet without stable revenues, why she refused to give up despite the pressures, how threats and targeted campaigns affect her family, and why she believes that journalism today is no longer a job one can live off, but rather a calling that demands great personal sacrifice.

You were born in Frankfurt but live and work in Lazarevac. You have been involved in journalism for over twenty years. What attracted you to step into the world of journalism, and how did the founding of the portal "Pravo u centar" come about?

By chance, I was born in Frankfurt, but I started living in Lazarevac when I was just ten days old. I have always been interested in the media, particularly in hosting, and as a child, I hosted programs and had those inclinations until I fell in love with Radio Lazarevac. Coincidentally, my father was friends with the then-editor, so I spent a lot of time at Radio Lazarevac, and even as a child, I knew I would work in the media. And so it was; I started as a radio host. After some time, I also transitioned to television. Later, I returned to a local radio station where I was an editor for about ten years. In 2024, I somehow decided that I would no longer do things that way.

At that time, the four of us women founded a civic association. We didn’t initially plan to establish a media outlet, but a civic association that would deal with, among other things, freedom of speech, freedom of information, etc. However, it seemed logical that just two months later, we needed to create the portal because we realized that we had to do it. That's how the portal "Pravo u centar" came into being.

Today, you say that your portal "Pravo u centar" is the only professional media outlet in Lazarevac. Why was it important for you that Lazarevac has such a media outlet?

It shouldn't even need explaining that there must be a media outlet that reports objectively and as it is. Other people need to be visible, not just the local authorities. In Lazarevac, we had situations where no political party that was not in coalition with the authorities was visible at all, nor were movements, or informal or formal citizen groups, until we launched the portal.

Almost the entire editorial team of "Pravo u centar" works voluntarily, without pay. You mentioned publicly that you often go to work a season in a restaurant in Croatia to earn extra income, which has later been used against you. How possible is it today to maintain an independent local media outlet in Serbia?

We mainly work voluntarily. Since March of this year, we have been supported by EED (European Endowment for Democracy), but I must emphasize that we do not have any space available, neither public nor anywhere in Lazarevac where we can operate as an editorial team, and because of that, a large portion of our fees goes to operational costs.

Occasionally, we launch a crowdfunding campaign when we specifically need money for something like a laptop, equipment, etc. At that time, our audience helps us, and we soon receive the funds for what we requested.

Regarding working a season in Croatia, my mother is from Dalmatia, I have many relatives and friends there, and I have worked there, so that adds fuel to the threats and insults.

It is absolutely difficult today to succeed in maintaining an independent media outlet. It is just a matter of will and dedication. This is not a job, and this is not a business. This is a calling for all of us who work locally, and it’s just a matter of determination whether we will engage in it or not.

Have you ever applied for city projects to co-finance media content?

Our situation is specific because Lazarevac is a city municipality of Belgrade. By law, it was not obligated to announce competitions for co-financing media projects, but it did until 2025.

Before the competition was announced, I received a "message" from the then-president of the municipality not to apply because our media would not be supported. Of course, despite this, we applied.

I have written about this multiple times. That was the first time an electronic portal for project submissions was introduced, and I noticed that someone was entering our application and making changes, as could be seen from the recorded dates of changes. At one point, our budget disappeared, along with certain items from the application. In the end, the entire competition was suspended.

I only accidentally learned about the suspension in August on the NUNS website. Nowhere was it publicly announced that the competition was suspended, and we as participants did not receive any official notification.

So, the competition for 2025 was suspended, and to this day, it is unclear where the planned budget of five million dinars went. We tried to track that money through budget items, but we couldn't determine where it was redirected. In 2026, the competition was not even announced.

What I know for sure is that some media outlets received funding through other channels, such as public enterprises, the Sports Association, and similar institutions.

Do you have advertisers on your website, or do they avoid you because you are not close to the local authorities?

We absolutely do not have advertising on our website. We have reached out to many, but some simply do not want to, and some do not have the courage. Just the other day, I had a situation where I spoke with a businessman from Lazarevac who told me, "Please, do not even mention it, not even through invoices or donations, we can maybe help you in cash, but don't mention me anywhere."

ZOOMER: So, there is a great fear prevailing in Lazarevac?

Yes.

Since the launch of the portal, you have suffered three attacks on the site, the shutdown of your Facebook page, and one attack on your portal's Instagram account. Who helps you survive despite this?

My colleagues and I are supported by our families. Besides them, there is also the "Telok" association from Kragujevac, which deals with IT services. They participated in building our portal and have continued to help us with technical matters.

An avalanche of misogynistic comments following the coverage of the event in Lazarevac

In mid-April 2026, Maria Popović reported alone, without a cameraman, from a gathering in Lazarevac, where on one side were citizens protesting against violence and the incident that occurred the day before, and on the other side, members and activists of the Serbian Progressive Party. A man approached her, falsely presenting himself as a journalist from a local television station, and began recording her with his phone, while another attendee directed inappropriate comments at her mentioning Croatia and HRT, alluding to her origin. When the recording was posted on the Instagram profile of the portal Pravo u centar, an avalanche of offensive and misogynistic comments followed. One of them, sent from the account goran39528, read: "PRAVO U CENTAR BU*E TE TREBA JE*ATI DA SE USERES PICULIĆKA DRO*ETINO????????????????????". The editorial team reported this message as a direct threat to the journalist's safety, and a lawsuit was subsequently filed. The case was forwarded to the High-Tech Crime Prosecutor's Office through Veran Matić (ANEM), with the support of NUNS, UNS, and the SafeJournalists network. Source: ANEM, N1

In April, you reported from a public gathering when someone, falsely presenting themselves as a journalist, filmed you while another man made comments about Croatia – after which an avalanche of misogynistic messages followed. Can you tell us more about that incident?

The day before that gathering, students and citizens were distributing and pasting stickers saying "students win" around Lazarevac, including on the exchange office of someone who was likely a member or supporter of the Serbian Progressive Party, who would later be found to be on a flight to Tivat. That man came out of his exchange office and punched a woman in the head, as well as kicked a minor.

Citizens of Lazarevac organized a gathering the next day regarding that event to protest against violence, where on one side were the citizens of Lazarevac, and approximately thirty meters away were members and activists of the Serbian Progressive Party, the entire municipal leadership, directors of public enterprises, as well as SNS activists from other cities who had evidently come to support the person who had committed the violence.

I reported from that gathering. It is important for me to mention that I do not have a cameraman with me; I report from such gatherings alone. The colleagues who work with me in the editorial team are very young; they could be my daughters, and I really cannot send them to such terrains to go alone. When this gathering was happening, I only asked my godmother to go behind me and film in case something happened so we would have it documented.

In the end, what happened, happened. What is terrifying in this whole story is that the leadership of the municipality of Lazarevac was in the immediate vicinity, including a member of the municipal council responsible for social protection, who is also the founder of an association for a safe city, who observed everything and laughed. He is, by the way, a hero from Košare.

Death threats from a person posing as a military official

In June, there was also a direct threat of rape and murder, sent from a profile claiming to be a member of the military. How do you cope with the escalation of such threats – from insults to direct threats to your life?

This is why we joined the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and other organizations, as we became aware that we needed support and protection and simply a way for what is happening to us to be visible.

We had such threats and everything before, but since working at the local level is very dynamic and we truly work many hours a day while trying to apply for various projects in the meantime, we simply do not have the will or time to deal with reporting and those matters.

In one article, you pointed out that what bothers you the most is the mentioning of your family in threats, as well as the fact that they are filming your house, yard, and family members' cars. How does this affect your private life in a community where everyone knows each other?

I have adult children and a husband who provide me with great support, both financially and in every other way. Honestly, I couldn’t live off my job, so their help means a lot to me. However, everything we are going through is not pleasant at all.

We had a situation where a person who is a member of the Serbian Progressive Party and lives across from us filmed our house and cars, even broadcasting it in live streams. That same person has sent me messages multiple times telling me to stay out of politics and to write about "nice things." Additionally, in the comments, my family has been called dealers, drug addicts, and various other insults and untruths have been thrown around. All of this leaves consequences.

In the last ten to fifteen days, the situation has become particularly concerning. Information comes to me, obviously targeted, where I am indirectly offered money to stop writing about the municipality, the budget, and other topics of public interest.

My closest ones receive specific subpoenas to court, as was the case after the blockade of the train station, when among the few summoned was also my son.

ZOOMER: So, there is specific targeting going on?

Yes, absolutely. And of course, all of this affects the family.

ZOOMER: How do you cope with this? Not as a journalist, but as a mother.

I worry a lot. My children are adults, aged 26 and 33, but it is not easy for them. I believe these are targeted provocations attempting to provoke their reaction. It would not be easy for anyone to read daily threats directed at their mother, vulgar comments and insults. I think that is exactly the goal – to exert additional pressure on me through my children.

In an article for Res Publika, you wrote that you do not accept the role of a victim nor self-censorship. What gives you the strength to continue, alone, even when you do not feel safe?

I know and am aware that I am doing my job. I do not have a backup occupation, nor do I intend to have a backup occupation or calling at the age of 52. This is a form of our struggle. People go out into the streets, some protest, and we all know what is happening. This is our way of advocating for a constitutional state and a constitutional city. That is what truly keeps us going.

I cannot say that I am not tired and that I do not often think about why I am doing this. Furthermore, I have a very serious diagnosis that is indeed affected by everything that is happening. However, there is no going back. We do what we know best.

What would you say to young female journalists who want to work locally, without the institutional protection that larger media have?

It is difficult to answer that question.

What I can say is that this is no longer a job in the classical sense. Once, you could open a media outlet, engage in journalism, and live off it. Today, at least when it comes to media like ours, that is no longer the case.

I don't even know how to label this – whether it's a hobby, activism, or something else, but it is certainly not a job one can live off normally.

If someone wants to engage in journalism, they must be aware of the reality of this profession today. We have just received a new report on the state of the media in Serbia, which clearly shows the position of independent local media like ours and yours.

Therefore, I would advise anyone considering this calling to think carefully. If they want a calmer professional path, it might be better to engage in culture, sports, or other areas. But if they choose investigative journalism, they must know that this job today carries great pressures, uncertainty, and personal sacrifices.

That is, unfortunately, the reality.

Source: Zoomer