“United Group media have never called for anyone’s murder,” said journalist and president of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS/IJAS) Zeljko Bodrozic, adding that this is a classic spin by the authorities.
The most dangerous campaign to date against United Group media outlets is currently being conducted in Serbia in which they are accused of plotting to assassinate Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Vucic started it, and then Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic and Information Minister Dejan Ristic picked up.
„There has never been a call for anyone’s murder. There are some guests occasionally who have harsher remarks about Vucic’s government, but no one has ever said anything like that. It’s a classic spin by the authorities,” said Bodrozic, adding that the government propaganda affects people, it is fierce, unscrupulous, and constant.
He argues that Vucic is behaving irresponsibly towards citizens.
“Even if there were some truth to this plan about Vucic’s assassination, it should be handled differently, not by raising an alarm like that, it just shows that there is nothing to it,” said Bodrozic, adding that a serious government would handle it discreetly, and that all this is clearly propaganda.
It now turns out that United Group co-owner Dragan Solak and United Media journalists are the assassin, Bodrozic adds.
“This kind of targeting poses a threat to the safety of journalists. Increased attacks on social networks immediately follow… I think there are fewer worried people in Ukraine than in our country. And that’s the image and likeness of Aleksandar Vucic, people are gloomy, and that’s his product,” stressed Bodrozic.
When asked if this is an attempt to intimidate potential guests and speakers from appearing on N1, Bodrozic said the authorities have long deprived United Media television stations of that possibility.
“You haven’t been able to bring public officials into the studio for some time now, so you’re already prevented in a way. Over time, they will also drive away those who dared to appear on N1,” said Bodrozic.
One of those officials who did not respond to an invitation to appear on N1 TV is Information Minister Dejan Ristic. The minister said on Monday that “there are media in Serbia that promote violence and allow their guests to call for the overthrow of the constitutional order, murder of citizens, and attacks on senior officials.” When asked if such calls were made on United Group media, Ristic did not offer any concrete instances.
Under such conditions, professional journalism becomes very difficult, he said, adding that the responsibility for the media situation rests with Vucic.
“Neither Ristic nor Brnabic are significant, they have agreed to let Vucic treat them as insignificant and they must follow him unquestioningly because, without him, they truly are irrelevant,” added Bodrozic.
Source: N1
