Support gathering for the N1 editorial team: "The darkness and shame will swallow us."

Actor Bane Trifunović emphasized in his opening address the importance of providing clear and visible support to employees at N1, showing them that they are not alone in this struggle.

“About 200 media workers, journalists, and reporters work in this building. We only know a small part of them from the streets and screens. These 200 dedicated individuals represent one of the last lines of defense for the public interest and the citizens' right to objective information. They are a kind of private public service. Built over a decade, N1 has been shaped by its owners, both majority and minority, into what it is today: a media outlet we can be proud of, its success verified by numerous viewers and numerous awards,” noted Trifunović.

Journalists at this outlet have been concerned for months, especially in the past few weeks following the dismissal of editor Igor Božić, despite Brent Sadler's guarantee that nothing would change.

The journalists at N1 have reportedly been among the most awarded in recent years.

“And the more awards they received, the more attacks and threats they faced. In 2024 alone, one-third of the total number of attacks and threats against journalists and media in Serbia were directed at those from N1. Last year, out of 140 attacks and threats, 26 were aimed at the journalists of this television station, and only two were resolved with final rulings,” Trifunović reminded.

Prosecutor Bojana Savović told those present in front of N1 that the claims of regime tabloids that they gathered to defend the rights of private companies are absolutely untrue.

"No, we gathered today to defend free media and free journalism. There is something much more important than ownership, and that is media freedom. Independent journalism is key to controlling all three branches of government and allows for the discovery of irregularities and greater transparency and accountability. Without independent journalism, the right to truth is endangered, and as a society, we are obligated to preserve free and independent journalism. I would like to remind you that the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia guarantees us the right to information," stated Savović.

Actress Jelisaveta Seka Sablić said at the protest that she came to defend the little light and truth that remains, which exclusively comes from the screens of N1 and Nova.

"The journalists of these televisions are young, educated, and possess a strong professional ethics that a journalist must have. They bring us what we need, which is the truth. The government wants to extinguish that light from N1 and Nova; they want to destroy it, to darken it, just as they do with culture, universities, students, and everything that is valuable. The arrogant government tramples on laws and truths, intimidating with masked thugs and mercenaries, trying to train this nation for obedience and humiliation," Sablić assessed.

Messages of support were also read at the gathering from journalists Branko Čečen, Stevan Dojčinović, Tamara Skrozza, director Raša Andrić, and footballer Nemanja Vidić.

Čečen conveyed that citizens have the right to be informed by decent people, to convey what is really happening, and to do so as soon as it occurs.

“You also have the right to change the channel. Defend that right of yours, because without it, who will know when your right to life, work, or freedom is taken away? Stand by independent media, as they have stood by you all these years. Without them, everything gets harder,” emphasized Čečen's message.

Director Raša Andrić stated that “if we lose N1 – we will be blind.”

“And a blind person can even be led by Informer. The survival of N1 is a question of the survival of our people. The harsh truth is that this government does not need the people at all. The people are merely an annoyance to them. They make noise, protest, demand rights, demand clean air and clean water, demand to be informed... They would prefer to rid themselves of the people, and then they could live comfortably. Although, they would be living in mud and filth, but comfortably. If we do not defend N1, it is another step toward extermination. Given the quality of water and air in our country, that extermination has not only begun but we are deep into it. It’s simple: if N1 falls, we all fall,” Andrić's message read at the gathering.

Footballer Nemanja Vidić sent a message to the attendees that his thoughts and actions always strive for truth, knowledge, justice, and a better society. These are the values, he added, that he wants to see in “his beloved country, whose endangered state we all witness together for a long time.”

“Media freedom and the freedom of critical, alternative opinions are one of the fundamental principles of progress for every individual and society as a whole. These are values we must not lose and values that enable us to progress, to change ourselves, and always give our best. We are witnesses to the power of media lies at every step. A force that often serves wrong purposes and bad people. The truth is endangered today; it is what we fight for. We must always strive for truth. Media freedom is a condition of our survival; otherwise, lies will kill us,” among other things, is noted in the message from Nemanja Vidić.

Journalist Tamara Skrozza emphasized in her message that N1 is no longer just a television station but a symbol, a principle, a face, the last stronghold, “because we have surrendered everything else.”

“If we surrender this too, darkness and disgrace will swallow us – both before those who came before us and those to whom we will leave nothing,” Skrozza warned.

Journalist and editor of KRIK Stevan Dojčinović stated that at a time when the government is attempting to suffocate N1, it is important to clearly articulate what we stand to lose.

“N1 is the most important informative medium in Serbia and a place where the truth can still reach citizens. Thanks to it, stories from KRIK and other investigative portals about crime and corruption have reached a wider audience. KRIK uncovered 24 apartments belonging to Siniša Mali, Vulin’s aunt from Canada, and secret Sky messages, but N1 helped ensure that all of Serbia heard about them. Therefore, defending N1 is not just about defending one television station; it is about defending the right for the public to know,” Trifunović read from Dojčinović's message.

At the gathering, Nađa Šolaja, a participant in N1's summer school, emphasized that the journalists at N1 are brave individuals who have set their lives aside to work for all citizens of Serbia, to keep them informed.

"As a young person who wants to pursue journalism in this country, I do not see a bright future when I see that they want to extinguish such media. Professional journalists are the first defenders of society," Šolaja stated.

N1 presenter Maja Žeželj read to the gathering a letter from the employees of this television station, indicating that all employees at N1 share their fate with the citizens, their audience, feeling at every moment the gloom and weight of the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

“We do not wish to wail tonight, but it is worth reminding that N1 is at the top of domestic and international statistics for physical, verbal, and other attacks coming from the political elite and descending to the bottom, to the last thug, who has been pre-approved for attacks,” the letter from the employees states.

They noted that N1 is not just a private company, with the owner's right to dispose of it according to political and other whims.

“N1 has transcended the boundaries of private ownership and imposed itself as a public interest by the very nature of how it operates, especially in the context of the media, professional, and ethical twilight and decline. We, the employees at N1, promise to remain faithful to ethical standards, the profession, and ourselves,” Maja Žeželj read on behalf of the employees.

The support rally for the N1 editorial team was called by the Media Association, the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), the Association of Online Media (AOM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Lokal Pres,” the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, and the Branch Union of Culture, Arts, and Media "Nezavisnost."

Source: ANEM