Local media in Serbia: They are constantly suffocating, but those who survive do so.

After nearly two decades of existence, the Regional Information Agency Jugpress from Leskovac is now managed by its editor-in-chief and responsible editor Ljiljana Stojanović, focusing on the labor market.

She had to do so, she says, due to numerous financial pressures that she and her colleagues could not withstand. Even for that move, the mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović, criticized her, claiming it "costs the state thirty thousand," Stojanović tells DW.

Jugpress, founded by a non-governmental organization, has been targeted by the authorities from the beginning for addressing topics that politicians find unfavorable and for critically reporting on the spending of budget funds. Because of this, budget money allocated to media through media competitions or other channels is not designated for this media outlet.

"The funds we received from the media competition in Leskovac have been significantly reduced, and in other municipalities and cities, we received nothing," Stojanović shares.

"Additionally, Jugpress has never had any advertisements, as it is the mayor who determines who gets advertisements here. Furthermore, unlike other media in Leskovac, only Jugpress does not have any monthly arrangements with companies that have budgets for information."

Lawsuits for Emotional Distress

The problem, Stojanović continues, is that even just relaying what the local opposition is saying can lead to trouble. Thus, Jugpress is facing three lawsuits, as she states, from the most powerful company in Serbia, Milenijum Team, because it reported statements from a press conference of an opposition party. Although around ten media outlets covered the event, Jugpress is the only one that received lawsuits demanding astronomical damages.

Support from journalistic associations, other media outlets, and colleagues in Serbia followed, leading to a significant campaign that helped Jugpress turn the situation in their favor, our interlocutor is convinced. Two lawsuits have been dismissed, and the third was withdrawn by the owners themselves.

At a time when there have been no donations from international sources since January, how can a media outlet even survive, Ljiljana Stojanović wonders. She asserts that without local media, the broader community would be unaware of numerous issues in the rest of Serbia, noting that the difference between large national media and local ones lies precisely in the correspondent network and the diversity of news provided by correspondents.

"In Belgrade, they wouldn't even know how the former mayor of Niš spent budget money if it weren't for local media," concludes the editor of Jugpress.

The former mayor of Niš, Dragana Sotirovski, has been in custody for half a year. Ljubica Jocić, the deputy editor-in-chief of Južne vesti, which was the first to report on this, does not believe that their article directly influenced the arrest, but rather that their reporting was confirmed by the state auditing institution.

"If someone is spending budget money, it is logical for them to be under scrutiny. We are here to inform citizens where their money is being spent and to assist state institutions in doing their jobs," Jocić tells DW.

Ignoring and Physical Attacks

Unlike Jugpress, Južne vesti has a programming company in its ownership structure and has long ceased to participate in media competitions, yet they are still under significant pressure from the authorities.

Their questions go unanswered, and they are not invited to press conferences. Threats have increased, and there has even been a physical attack on a journalist from Južne vesti.

"On the same day in Niš when there was a student protest and an SNS rally, a man from a group of SNS supporters guarded by a police cordon approached her, grabbed her arm, tried to take her phone, and threatened her. The police did not react; rather, they removed her from the situation," Jocić recounts.

Once again, there was a response from journalistic associations, media, and colleagues across Serbia, and the incident was reported to the prosecution. It has not yet gone to trial.

Jocić recalls that this spring the only daily newspaper south of Belgrade, "Narodne novine," founded in 1949, was shut down. On the other hand, a news outlet referred to as "Niš Informer" has been established.

Nonexistent New Television

This refers to the new Niš TV, which is not registered with either the Business Registers Agency or the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, yet it has a daily program and hosts top officials as guests.

It first went on air on the very day when a journalist from Južne vesti was attacked, and the first guest on this television was Aleksandar Vučić. Since May 18 to date, numerous ministers have appeared on this television, while the director faces a series of criminal complaints because the television officially does not exist.

Criminal complaints have also been filed by several professors from the First Niš Gymnasium "Stevan Sremac" regarding a report that discusses "who pays the blocking teachers." The television has also been sued by the directors of Media and the Reform Center for referring to critical media in their programming as "fascist" media. Professor Dušan Aleksić from the Faculty of Philosophy has also filed a lawsuit after being insulted on the program.

The director, editor-in-chief, and co-owner of Niš TV, Bojan Avramović, did not respond to our request for an interview.

On the other hand, Dušan Aleksić from the Department of Communication and Journalism at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš states that the extraordinary and conflictual situation we are living in contributes to the suffering of local media.

They operate on limited resources, while the authorities have unlimited resources, Aleksić claims, highlighting that this is particularly pronounced in places where everyone knows each other. There, extortion, threats, and nonsensical lawsuits are more frequently employed.

Courage of Journalists in an "Occupied State"

"When you have an occupied state, then the economy is subordinated to the interests of individuals, and often large enterprises receive orders not to advertise through local media, which naturally threatens their survival," Aleksić tells DW.

"I believe that people working in media today are the bravest, as they are under pressure from all sides," he states, adding that there have already been "horrific" intimidations, attacks, and arsons targeting journalists.

"The media situation in Serbia has never been worse; it is actually catastrophic. Media should oversee the authorities, prevent various corrupt activities, and anything that negatively impacts citizens' lives. There are few media that engage in this, and even those that do face attempts by the authorities to stop them. Ultimately, I believe we simply do not have media," concludes Aleksić.

Source: DW