United Media warned on Monday that the Serbian authorities are creating a dangerous precedent by portraying independent media as enemies of the state.
“State officials, assisted by pro-government media, have continued their baseless attacks, pressure and targeting of media operating as part of United Media,” a statement said.
“The latest statements by Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic, the president’s media advisor Suzana Vasiljevic and the owner of pro-government tabloid daily Informer Dragan J. Vucicevic on the Hit Tvit talk show on the pro-government TV Pink, are the culmination of years, almost decades, of the campaign to portray independent media, especially N1 and Nova, as enemies of the state.
“That campaign is always stepped up in times of crises in society which those media report on.
“One thing that especially causes concern is the fact that state officials and the media siding with them are trying to make normal the targeting of independent media, portraying them as political, the organizers of imaginary coups d’etat and subversives only because their reporting is on things in the public interest and on issues that are not covered by the public broadcaster.
“In their constant spins, they identify people who speak for independent media with those media, take parts of their statements out of context and keep repeating claims that the state is in jeopardy. Brnabic is especially active in those attacks and, curiously enough, she said just a few days ago that she was working on the full implementation of ODIHR recommendations. We can say with certainty that this does not mean the recommendation on duties in terms of protecting media staff.
“Instead of refraining from the use of inflammatory, toxic speech and condemning threats, pressure and the intimidation of independent journalists and media, Brnabic is endangering them.
“The state of the media in Serbia has been covered in a number of relevant reports from the likes of ODIHR and Reporters Without Borders which placed Serbia in last place but one in Europe and 98th globally with constant regression from year to year.
“State officials don’t even care about European Union recommendations which have been repeated for years warning that high-ranking officials must refrain from labeling and verbal attacks on journalists but also calling them to condemn those acts which is their obligation under the constitution and media laws.
“United Media has warned for years of the dangerous consequences of the continuing campaign against the independent media outlets N1 and Nova waged by state officials. We called them to secure normal working conditions for those media but the people leading the field in terms of verbal assaults, pressure and the targeting of professional media can’t be the protectors of freedom of expression and have a positive effect on changing the environment, that is establishing an environment conducive to media freedom,” United Media said.
Source: N1
