JUGpress: Twenty Years of Existence and Operation

JUGpress has cultivated a professional, objective, and impartial editorial policy over the past two decades, operating exclusively in the interest of the public and citizens. Our media house is, in many ways, avant-garde at the level of Serbia: we were the first media of this type south of Belgrade; we were the first to begin publishing video reports on our website; we were the first media outlet outside the capital to address very important topics related to corruption, misuse of public funds, abuse of political power, violations of labor rights, bullying, and the unequal status of women, youth, the elderly, and national minorities; we were the first media to invite citizens to report the problems they face; and we were the first to start publishing news in Albanian, Romani, and Bulgarian, among others.

For twenty years, we have fought for professional journalism and the public's right to know, despite the pressures and threats that have been our daily reality all these years. It must be said that these pressures and threats take on a much more severe dimension when working locally, particularly in southern Serbia.

Continuous Struggle

For twenty years, a regional media outlet has been in a constant struggle for survival, steadfastly adhering to the principles of professionalism, ethical codes, and working exclusively in the interest of the public. Throughout all these years of existence, we have endured various challenges, and our greatest success is that we are still here and continue to work in the public interest. Our work is persistent and resilient, despite the different types of pressures and threats, whether open or concealed, and attempts by authorities to silence us. Our website has been hacked multiple times, financial exhaustion continues, and attempts at discrediting and labeling us persist, and, even worse, targets have been drawn on the heads of our media and journalists through various spins and fabricated stories.

Daily Threats

The attempts to intimidate and silence us, which have literally hung over our heads, include SLAPP lawsuits from the most powerful company in Serbia, the Belgrade-based Millennium Team (which is close to the SNS), which sued us simply for doing our job and reporting from a press conference of an opposition party, seeking damages of 200,000 euros. Two directors of this company also sued us for "emotional distress," which, in their case, is valued at two million. JUGpress proved in court that we were professionally doing our job, and the lawsuits were dismissed. This is just a part of the pressures we face almost daily. Authorities have been informed about threats to "burn down the editorial office and building," that they would "destroy us," damage to the vehicle used by the editorial staff, and similar incidents, but the prosecution has regularly dismissed those complaints, arguing that they do not constitute threats, making it pointless to even mention it anymore. As for the recent attempts to silence us through financial pressures, the rejection of projects in media competitions without valid justification, and drastic reductions in allocated amounts in the very rare cases when support was granted, that can be discussed another time. This also includes threats, insults, and derogatory remarks on social media.

Respect for Journalistic and Ethical Standards

Today, however, we celebrate. We will have coffee together, a part of us gathered around the story called JUGpress, as we do not have the funds for a richer celebration with colleagues. And that is our daily reality. JUGpress has a clear editorial policy based on respecting all professional and ethical standards, providing accurate, verified, and reliable information, and engaging in non-tabloid journalism solely in the interest of the public. JUGpress publishes articles in Serbian, Albanian, Romani, and Bulgarian. We are a member of Local Press, the Online Media Association, and ANEM, and we accept the authority of the Press Council. Celebrating our twentieth anniversary, JUGpress welcomes a multimedia concept of agency production, which, in addition to classic news services—written, audio, photo, and television—also includes the YouTube channel TV JUGpress. The founder of JUGpress is the citizens' association Center for Democracy and Development of Southern Serbia. After twenty years, the authorities, the power holders, and their henchmen continue to attack and threaten us, while we persist, primarily and above all thanks to the readers who stand by us. And that is our greatest strength. Thank you for believing in us!

JUGpress