Constructing the Enemy: How Do Tabloids and Authorities Deal with Professional Journalists?

Five dominant narratives have been observed in the attacks, which intertwine and complement each other: professional discreditation, dehumanization and demonization, labeling journalists as traitors and mercenaries, criminalization, as well as fascization and Nazification.

Professional discreditation refers to the questioning of the media's credibility. Tabloids have portrayed critical journalists as incompetent, propagandists, and liars. Reporting on topics of public interest is often depicted as manipulation, while critical scrutiny of government actions is linked to alleged control by oligarchs, opposition politicians, and other regime opponents over these media outlets.

Furthermore, journalists are portrayed as morally corrupt, malicious, lacking empathy, and even as irrational and psychologically unstable. Such rhetoric serves not only to insult but also to create an atmosphere in which critical voices are presented as a danger, while defending the authorities is framed as the only morally acceptable behavior.

Particularly pronounced is the labeling of journalists as foreign mercenaries, anti-Serbs, and accomplices in alleged attempts to destabilize the country. In this way, journalistic reporting is marked as part of a broader conspiracy against the state order, sovereignty, and national identity.

The most dangerous form of attack observed is criminalization, which presents journalists as accomplices in criminal acts, instigators of violence, and even collaborators with criminal structures. It is particularly concerning that such rhetoric has not only come from tabloids but also from the highest state officials, who have repeatedly called for the prosecution of journalists for their reporting.

The most rhetorically extreme attacks are reflected in comparing journalists to fascists, Nazis, and Ustaša. By equating them with the most notorious criminal structures, tabloids have branded critical media as a source of evil and hatred, aiming for their moral and professional discreditation.

The narratives observed have often been used not only by tabloids but also by high-ranking state officials and pro-regime analysts. This confirms that tabloid rhetoric serves not only for incidental attacks but is also institutionalized and transformed into a mechanism of power for dealing with journalists.

The conclusion is clear: in Serbia, critical journalists are systematically attacked through recurring and interconnected narratives aimed at undermining trust in professional media and completely stifling criticism of the authorities and freedom of expression.

The complete analysis can be downloaded HERE

The analysis was conducted on a sample of 300 texts selected from a corpus of 1,984 articles from the portals Alo, Informer, and Republika, in which media and journalists are mentioned.