The Coalition for Media Freedom expresses serious concern over the latest actions taken by the management of Adria News Network (ANN) towards the newsrooms of N1 and Nova.rs, which deepen suspicions that, following the change in ownership, the space for their editorial autonomy is being narrowed, particularly during the sensitive pre-election period.
According to the N1 newsroom, on 2 October the management submitted an application to the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) for a broadcasting licence in Serbia, without previously informing or consulting the editorial team. News Director Branislav Šovljanski only learned about the application after REM contacted him requesting additional documentation. According to Šovljanski, he then also learned that data from his personal ID card had been used and that he had been listed as editor-in-chief and responsible editor, without his prior knowledge.
The Coalition calls on the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection to examine the legal basis for the use of these personal data, and on REM to clarify the circumstances surrounding the submission of the application before taking any further action.
Of particular concern is the fact that, as early as 20 August, Minister of Information and Telecommunications Boris Bratina asked Pedro Vargas David, owner of Alpac Capital, to register N1 and Nova S with REM, while accusing the outlets of political activity, “media dishonour” and spreading hatred. Vargas David subsequently publicly pledged that political pressure would not affect the newsrooms.
This chronology does not prove that the management acted at the minister’s request, but it requires a clear explanation: who made the decision, why was the newsroom not informed, and is there any connection with the minister’s request? An explanation is also necessary because four members of the REM Council warned just one day earlier that the regulator had been formally constituted but was effectively blocked.
At the same time, employees of Nova.rs state that ANN Chief Programme Officer Brent Sadler presented Acting Editor Ratko Femić with a list of individuals to be hired for three months, including journalists from media outlets close to the authorities, such as Alo and Večernje novosti, without prior consultation with the newsroom.
Employees have also warned about the abolition of the budget for promoting content on social media and Google, as well as the introduction of political advertising at rates which, in their assessment, would favour the financially most powerful political actors. These moves were preceded by the departure of Mihailo Jovićević from management positions, while the outlet still has no appointed editor-in-chief and responsible editor.
Editorial independence can also be undermined by staffing and financial decisions that bypass the newsroom, limit the reach of content and alter working conditions. Such interventions immediately ahead of elections require particular scrutiny.
The latest developments are part of a broader process: from the removal of N1 and Nova from the EON SAT/Total TV platform in April 2025, through the publication of a recording of a conversation between executives of United Group and Telekom Srbija regarding the dismissal of Aleksandra Subotić and the weakening of United Media in Serbia, to the separation of the news media into ANN and the sale of the company to an entity linked to Alpac Capital. Concerns are further heightened by Alpac Capital’s political and business ties in Hungary and Serbia, as well as by Vargas David’s management role during the regulatory approval of the transaction.
We call on Alpac Capital and ANN management to:
– publicly explain the submission of the application to REM, the use of Branislav Šovljanski’s personal data and any possible connection with Minister Bratina’s request;
– suspend staffing interventions carried out without consultation with the responsible editors and employees;
– provide transparent explanations for decisions concerning political advertising, content promotion and other measures affecting the work and reach of the media outlets;
– establish clear and binding mechanisms to protect the editorial independence of all ANN newsrooms.
We call on the European Commission, the European Board for Media Services and other relevant European institutions to monitor both the ownership transaction and its concrete consequences for newsrooms, media pluralism and citizens’ right to professional and independent information.
The Coalition expresses its full support for colleagues at N1, Nova S, Nova.rs, Danas and Radar. Promises are no longer sufficient: the owner and management must demonstrate through concrete actions that editorial independence will not become subject to political deals, business interests or staffing reshuffles.
The Media Freedom Coalition consists of the Media Association, the Online Media Association (AOM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (IJAV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Lokal Pres,” the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, and the “Nezavisnost” Branch Trade Union of Culture, Art and Media.
