United Media on Friday condemned the attacks on N1 and Nova TV staff and called the European Union demand an end to those attacks by top state officials and pro-regime media outlets.
“United Media, the parent company of television networks N1 and Nova, strongly condemns the intensifying attacks by the country’s top officials and pro-government tabloids on our media outlets, which in recent days have reached a dangerous tipping point,” a press release said.
“At a time when the only coverage of brutal police violence against protesters can be seen on N1 and Nova, the authorities have launched an orchestrated campaign branding our networks as “media poisoners” and even “terrorist organizations”.
“The consequences of this campaign have become immediately apparent. Shortly after the airing of a program covering the protests, Nova journalist Sanja Ignjatovic Eker received horrifying threats via social media — including a monstrous message threatening the murder of her child. Those vile and inhumane threats go beyond the bounds of any civilized society and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
“In the past ten months alone, there have been more than 30 recorded attacks on journalists from N1 and Nova — ranging from serious physical and verbal assaults, to chilling threats, and obstruction of journalistic work. Not a single case has been resolved.
“Now, we are sadly witnessing an escalation: journalists are being attacked in plain sight of the police, with no response. When uniformed police officers stand by as clearly identified journalists are pelted with stones and bottles, that is not passivity — it is tacit approval.
“It is clear to us that this campaign has a goal: a government increasingly facing public discontent is seeking to create conditions to shut down N1 and Nova — the only independent broadcasters that have, for months, been providing objective and unbiased reporting on the mass protests taking place in Serbia since the collapse of a canopy that claimed 16 lives.
“The reason we are being targeted is simple: we air what regime-controlled media never will — footage and testimonies that expose the truth behind the official narrative. Our journalists firmly believe that the truth belongs to the public, not politicians, which is why we are present on the ground, broadcasting live so that citizens can see the truth for themselves.
The press release also quoted United Media CEO Aleksandra Subotic who said that “what is happening in Serbia goes far beyond political pressure — this is a systematic, calculated, and ruthless assault on freedom of speech, with a clear aim to silence and shut down N1 and Nova. I call on the institutions of the European Union and the international community to immediately, unequivocally, and publicly demand that the Serbian authorities put an end to this shameful and dangerous campaign — one that not only undermines democracy, but directly endangers the lives of journalists and the safety of their families. Silence at this moment is not an option”.
United Media said it will report all incidents to the relevant European institutions, international organizations dedicated to the protection of journalists and media freedoms, as well as to diplomatic missions in Belgrade.
Source: N1
