United Group dismissed the entire Board of Adria News in Luxembourg, initiating a reorganization of United Media companies.
The appointment of Brent Sadler, a former N1 TV board chief, and the public criticism of N1 and Nova S journalists, suggests that United Group’s leadership selected him with the intention of having professional newsrooms reorganized by a person who holds an explicitly negative view of the reporting of the media outlets on which he will have editorial oversight.
According to information from United Group, Sadler has been given free rein to bring whoever he wants onto his team, which he has done by selecting advisers and board members with whom he has had particularly close personal ties since the time he served as president of the Serbian-Lebanese Business Council.
N1 learned that those people include May Chidiac, Rani Raad, Simon Backs, and Nigel Baker. Their appointments, stemming from close friendships with Sadler, raise concerns that the media reorganization will be led by individuals with long-standing professional and personal connections, which could represent a major reputational risk for media outlets built on the concept of European editorial autonomy.
One of the main roles on Sadler’s team, according to our information, will be held by Lebanese journalist May Chidiac, a former Lebanese cabinet minister who set up media freedom organizations. Sadler is a frequent guest at her events, but beyond her significant media career in the Middle East, her friendship with him qualifies her for the new role.
Sadler has also decided to engage Rani Raad, a media executive of Lebanese origin who for several years served as CEO of International Media Investments (IMI), owned by the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation under the control of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The potential engagement of Raad, who managed a media portfolio that is part of the UAE’s state soft-power strategy, is concerning given the strong political and economic ties between the Serbian authorities and the UAE, as well as President Aleksandar Vučić’s close relationship with the Zayed family.
Sadler has also invited Briton Simon Bucks to collaborate with him, with whom he previously worked at International Television News (ITN) UK. Since 2023, Backs has been a member of the Content Board of the British media regulator Ofcom. He has worked at Sky News and London News Network and served as Chief Executive of BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service), an organization that informs British armed forces around the world.
Sadler has previously collaborated with Nigel Baker from the UK, whom he is also bringing onto his team. Baker is the director of the Thomson Foundation, which focuses on media education, and through which he and Sadler cooperated on projects in Lebanon. Like Sadler and Backs, Baker was an editor at ITN and is one of the founders of Associated Press Television News.
Recall that Nikos Stathopoulos, a key figure of United Group within the structure of BC Partners, according to the testimony of UG director Stan Miller, negotiated processes within media companies whose editorial teams have been in long-standing conflict with Aleksandar Vučić, including the dismissal of United Media director Aleksandra Subotić and the reduction of criticism on N1 and Nova S.
Whether the engagement of Sadler and his friends from the Middle East and Britain will pose a danger that strategic кадров changes could narrow the space for critical reporting will soon become clear, as pro-government media have for days been announcing changes in editorial positions at N1 and Nova S.
United Media outlets play a significant role in informing the public across several European countries, which is why the protection of editorial autonomy is a priority. Unfortunately, United Group management has refused any contact with journalists and editors regarding the future, despite an offer to preserve independence through a proposed management buyout.
Source: N1
