Vladimir Bulatović: "The protests looked like a real civil war."

Pressure on local media continues even in larger communities, and Bulatović explains that they occasionally receive calls for friendly conversations.

“These calls usually come through mutual acquaintances, friends, or clients, and so far, they haven't escalated into threats or physical confrontations. They most often occur when we write about business, specifically about building constructions, commercial properties, or construction permits. We have never reported this because we don't believe it would have any effect. When I see what some local media in Serbia are going through, our experience seems considerably milder. The situation in Novi Sad is somewhat simpler, but it is not easy.”

Unlike many independent media outlets in Serbia that are funded through projects, Moj Novi Sad is fully commercial and is supported by a marketing firm owned by Bulatović, who explains that this also brings certain challenges.

“Many clients still trust radio, television, billboards, and flyers more than digital media. They are often surprised when they see the results that the internet can deliver. Google and large global platforms through which many companies advertise today also pose a problem. We only introduced Google Ads a month ago. For a full ten years, we did not have them because we wanted the portal to remain clean and free of excessive banners. That was important to us.

The past year was very difficult. This year, advertisers are slowly returning, but I get the impression that some clients are afraid to advertise with us because it is clear that we do not belong to the regime, and business in Serbia is strongly connected to politics.”

Regarding fieldwork, how challenging has it been to cover protests in Novi Sad? Have you had any unpleasant situations in the field?

“I was at both locations in front of the SNS offices during protests organized in response to the fireworks at demonstrations a few days earlier. That was the most extreme experience I have had. I was clearly marked as a journalist. I wore a large accreditation from the Moj Novi Sad portal, so there was no doubt about who I was.

Despite that, I received several blows from the police, a rock hit me in the stomach, an ice bottle knocked my phone out of my hand, and I was attacked by three thugs. I managed to defend myself, but at that moment, I realized that it no longer mattered whether you were a journalist. I had the impression that the goal was to intimidate journalists. It felt to me like a real civil war. People were throwing stones, rockets, and frozen bottles from about twenty meters away. While you are filming or photographing, you constantly have to watch what is flying towards you because you do not know where the next blow will come from. Such things can seriously injure or even kill someone.”

Did you report those attacks?

“No, I didn't. I know I should, but I don't expect anything from this regime. I think in the end, we will have to defend ourselves. The only thing that remains a nice memory is that in one private clinic, they did not charge me for the examination when they heard what had happened. That meant a lot to me because it shows that people recognize our effort. I admire colleagues who are in the field every day. I am not constantly operationally involved, but they are, and they have learned how to avoid or de-escalate incidents.”

You mentioned that you are currently also dealing with SLAPP lawsuits. What exactly is this about? Who has sued you?

“Miroslav Aleksić has sued us over an article in which we reported information about an incident after he got out of his car and clashed with citizens and the police. The article was based on video footage and information that was available at that time. New information emerged later, but we published what was known at that moment. He has sued us for defamation and damage to reputation because of this.”

So far, one hearing has been held, and there are a total of five lawsuits. The total amount of lawsuits and costs could reach between 25,000 and 30,000 euros.”

You recently launched a Patreon; do you expect support from readers?

“We published one article about it and placed a banner on the site. So far, we haven't received a single euro, but we don't really expect anything special. I believe that people will respond if one day we find ourselves in serious trouble.”

How important is the solidarity of the journalistic community in such times?

“We are not part of any project, we are not funded by foundations, domestic or foreign organizations, nor any NGOs. At one point, we realized that we were truly left to fend for ourselves.

However, since we joined ANEM and learned about the problems faced by other media, I have realized that we are, compared to many media from smaller communities and southern Serbia, actually in a much better position. Therefore, we decided to be more supportive. We share information about attacks on other journalists and media and try to provide them with support, hoping that if one day we need help, someone will stand by us. Because on one hand, you are exposed to verbal violence, physical violence, and SLAPP lawsuits, and on the other hand, you offer readers free content. But as long as we can, we will continue like this.”

Source: Zoomer