The remarks made today in parliament by Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) MPs Milenko Jovanov and Marijan Risticevic about N1 are extremely dangerous and wholly unacceptable in a democratic society, N1 said on Tuesday.
“Calling a media outlet that does its work professionally and responsibly as “propaganda-terrorist trash”, using terminology with serious connotations, is impermissible and degrading speech, as well as a direct attack on media freedom. Targeting public media — especially from parliament — is deeply concerning, because it creates an environment in which journalists become legitimate targets of attacks,” it said.
“That rhetoric intensifies pressure on the media and may directly endanger the safety of those who do their jobs with professionalism.
“We recall that the duty of the media is to inform the public about relevant political processes and messages, including those from international institutions, even when they are not to the liking of certain political structures.
“N1 will continue to operate in the public interest, open to reasoned and fact-based criticism, but not to groundless attacks and disqualifications that serve only to divert attention from essential issues while bringing serious consequences.
“For this very reason, public officials have a responsibility to ensure that their words do not encourage that climate, but rather contribute to the protection of media freedom and the safety of journalists,” N1 said.
What Jovanov said
SNS parliament group chief Milenko Jovanov MP said at Tuesday’s session of parliament that N1 is “Solak’s propaganda-terrorist trash” and claimed that N1 is responsible for spinning a story about the freezing of EU funds from the Growth Plan intended for Serbia.
He also accused N1 of fabricating a news story which, as he put it, “started when a journalist or reporter from that Solak propaganda-terrorist trash was wandering the corridors and back rooms of Brussels and then that he had, well, overheard what was going to happen”.
Jovanov added: “As for Solak’s propaganda-terrorist trash, they can write whatever they want — it really doesn’t affect me. There is nothing they haven’t already written about me. So one or several more things makes absolutely no difference. I am absolutely not interested in whatever they write. The first time those people write the truth, that will already mark a change in some editorial policy or whatever. And now they are trying to create a narrative that I, supposedly, made misogynist comments about someone’s skirts and so on. … Didn’t we just have a discussion here the day before about how a minister came and did not violate the code? So what is this now? Persecuting men over clothing? That doesn’t exist. And I’m being told this by the same people who, at a press conference, asked me why female SNS MPs wear open-toe sandals. And that didn’t bother them. That was fine,” he said.
What Risticevic said
SNS MP Marijan Risticevic continued directing insults at N1: “Madam Chair, let me also agree with the previous speaker. He said that psychopaths created a television station. I can confirm: those stations are called N1 and Nova S, thank you,” he said.
Source: N1
