Attacks on critical media are increasing: SNS officials verbally attacked journalists 141 times in September.
The Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation announced that in September it registered 141 verbal attacks by state officials and members of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on critical media and journalists, which, according to the statement, is four more than in August.
“The dominant narratives used in these attacks represent attempts at dehumanization, labeling journalists as traitors and foreign mercenaries, and professionally discrediting journalists and media outlets. During September, the media were referred to as ‘traitorous gangs,’ ‘filthy media,’ ‘scum,’ and their reporting as ‘mad propaganda,’” stated the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation.
It is noted that the attacks on critical media and journalists involved “the president of the SNS and advisor to the president of Serbia, Miloš Vučević, the ministers of finance and economy, Siniša Mali and Adrijana Mesarović, the ministers of information and European integration, Boris Bratina and Nemanja Starović, the chairwoman of the parliamentary Committee for Culture and Information, Nevena Đurić, the president of the Assembly of Novi Sad, Dina Vučinić, the media advisor to the president of Serbia, Suzana Vasiljević, the director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy, Arno Gujon, and a member of the Main Board of the SNS, Siniša Vučinić.”
“The most common triggers for the attacks were protests (41 cases), current events/daily politics (22 cases), the program ‘Important Issues’ on Radio-Television Serbia (14 cases), military parades, and the celebration of national holidays (six cases),” the statement reads.
It is assessed that “the involvement of the highest state officials in spreading insults and dehumanizing messages clearly shows that aggression towards journalists has been institutionalized and normalized.”
“The rhetoric that labels journalists as ‘fascist garbage,’ ‘enemies of the state,’ and ‘haters of Serbia’ is a regular part of political communication, seriously undermining the safety of journalists and public trust in free media,” the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation evaluated.
Monitoring was conducted from September 1 to 30, and the sample included the portals Informer, Alo, and Republika, as well as the official accounts on social media of holders of various public functions “who stood out for frequently targeting journalists.”
Source: Mašina
