Any discussion about personnel changes between a state-owned company and the media outlet’s managers would be considered scandalous in Europe, N1 Editorial Board advisor Peter Horrocks told the Belgrade-based Cenzolovka portal.
He said that kind of discussion might be needed, especially in an economy like Serbia’s but added that talks about personnel changes between state-controlled companies such as Telekom Serbia and media companies are not standard business practice nor should a media CEO work with a head of state to fire staff as a political favor.
Horrocks,a former BBC World Service chief, said that any challenge to N1 editorial standards must be treated seriously. He said that it is crucial for N1’s parent company United Group to allow the media outlet’s editorial staff to operation with complete independence because that is morally right and legally required under the European Media Freedom Act because United Group is based in the European Union.
According to him, nothing that the new United Group management said suggest they intend to change the existing editorial policies.
He said the assaults on journalists are scandalous and added that the lack of a police response to threats and violence only makes the situation worse.
Commenting former N1 Editorial Board member Brent Sadler’s about N1, Horrocks said that he does not know him personally and added that the key issue is whether there is evidence that N1’s owner has interfered in editorial policies. N1’s editorial independence is essential and the Editorial Board, which is made up of international experts and is based in Luxembourg, is the mechanism that ensures that independence.
Source: N1
