The new head of N1, Nova, Danas and Radar sent sweet-talking messages to the editors of these media, but the question is whether they will come true
The United Group transferred the media from Serbia and the region under the umbrella of another company, and “Vremen” sources have already said that this is likely introduction to editorial changes. The existing editors of these independent media spoke about what they think the next steps could be.
Program director of TV N1 Igor Božić said that he spoke with Brent Sadler, who was chosen to reform this media with friends from the Middle East and the head of the media empire of the Bin Zayed family. He also stated that Sadler told him “that the future will be discussed, but that for now everything will remain the same, that no one will interfere in the daily editorial work”.
“We’ve seen sweet-talking messages, we’ll see if they come true,” Bozic said. “I had a call from Sadler who reminded me that we started working together on the project, that we are now continuing. Time will tell in which direction it will go. But as long as we are all here, we can only work independently, without influence and pressure. We were not affected by pressure from the outside, and we will not be now either.”
The target was clear.
Božić added that it seems to him that the announced reorganization of the media is actually the realization of the plan from the conversation between Vladimir Lučić and Sten Miller because Aleksandra Subotić, the director who publicly commented on that conversation and condemned it, was dismissed.
Director of Vesti TV Nova and Vremen journalist Slobodan Georgiev he said that “it is obvious that Subotic was a target”.
“If people come who know what journalism is, we will understand each other easily. If people have stopped being journalists, then we will have problems. But I think those people who have come now will have more problems,” explained Georgiev.
Sadler’s ties to the regime
The director and editor-in-chief of the Nova.rs portal and the director of the weekly Radar, Mihailo Jovićević, says that he currently “doesn’t know anything” and that he is aware that this is the most stupid answer that can be given to a question at this moment, especially when you are a journalist, but time will tell what we can expect from this management.
“I spoke with Mr. Sadler, and he drew my attention to the changes that took place within the United Group. I, for my part, drew his attention to the questions that he must answer – primarily related to his ties with the regime. We wrote about it and he is aware of it and said that he will do it,” says the editor-in-chief of Nova.rs and adds that Sadler told him that he does not plan any layoffs or layoffs at the moment.
When asked if the biographies of the members of the board and council of the newly founded company United Group raise doubts, Jovićević states that the name of Sheikh Bin Zayed “rings an alarm bell”.
There will be no servants.
The editor-in-chief of Danas, Dragoljub Petrović, said that citizens have reason to be concerned, especially because of the attitude of the state leadership towards independent media. However, he adds that the people who are at the head of the media have many years of journalistic and editorial experience, and that they know how to correct things.
“Was it because we created another media, but we did not want to work under certain conditions, when someone dictates what we should publish and all the people who are at the head of these media are simply principled and will not simply do something that is not according to the rules of our profession. We will not be anyone’s servants, we will not soften our position”, concludes Danas editor-in-chief Dragoljub Draža Petrović.
Source: Vreme
