The agency recalled that earlier this week, Twitter accounts of most influential newspapers and two national TV broadcasters, public service Radio-television of Serbia (RTS), and Radio-Television Vojvodina (RTV) were marked as linked to Serbia’s Government.
Pro-government tabloid Informer publishes a front-page headline dominated by a photo of Adolf Hitler, calling Twitter a “propaganda war machine.”
“Twitter defines state-affiliated media as outlets where the state “exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution,” AFP said.
It added that “Serbia’s ruling party led by populist President Aleksandar Vucic faces growing accusations from rights groups that it is snuffing out critical journalism and consolidating media ownership into friendly hands.”
Vucic reacted by describing the decision to label the media state-affiliated as a “compliment” for those outlets, adding that it was normal for media outlets to collaborate with the government, AFP recalled.
“Now you see who the real censors are. I can’t wait for them to suspend my account so that I can become another Trump in the world,” Vucic told local media.
