The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) warns that the open letter sent by Minister of Information and Telecommunications Boris Bratina to Alpac Capital owner Pedro Vargas David constitutes unacceptable interference by a representative of the executive branch in matters concerning the ownership, management and future of N1 and Nova, and further deepens concerns about preserving their editorial independence.
It is particularly concerning that the minister responsible for the field of public information, at a time when the regulatory procedure concerning the takeover of Adria News Network has not yet been completed, is directly addressing the new owner while, alongside calls for N1 and Nova to be registered with the domestic regulator, making a series of politically charged and unsubstantiated accusations against these media outlets, their journalists and their previous owners.
Describing the media as a “criminal media project”, referring to a “pirate scheme”, “false representation” and other alleged illegal activities cannot be regarded as neutral information provided to an investor about Serbia’s legal framework. When such qualifications come from the minister responsible for the media sector, they carry the weight of institutional pressure and may also be understood as a message to the new owner about the kind of approach the authorities expect towards the N1 and Nova newsrooms.
Even more troubling is the minister’s portrayal of the professional work of journalists in these newsrooms as political activity directed against the authorities, accusing them of attacks on the state and political actors and attempting to discredit their editorial approach before the new owner. Such conduct may have a direct chilling effect on journalists and editors and further undermine their professional security at a time when there is already considerable uncertainty surrounding changes within Adria News Network.
IJAS recalls that, in a democratic society, the minister responsible for information is not an arbiter of which media outlets are acceptable, nor should his role be to suggest to owners how they should treat newsrooms whose reporting is not favourable to the authorities. The Ministry’s duty is to create conditions for the free, pluralistic and safe operation of all media, regardless of their editorial policy.
It is also unacceptable for a state official to attempt to discredit an independent regulatory body of another country simply because its proceedings do not correspond with the political or business expectations of interested parties. Decisions concerning changes in control over media outlets must be made exclusively within procedures prescribed by law and free from political pressure from any side.
IJAS has already warned that employees of Adria News Network have the right to clear and verifiable guarantees that changes in ownership and management will not result in pressure on journalists, dismissals motivated by editorial policy, or changes to the professional character of these newsrooms. Minister Bratina’s latest intervention only reinforces these concerns.
Particularly in light of his previous statements in which he said that N1 and Nova were media outlets that “should not exist on the airwaves”, spoke of their “war against the state”, and used derogatory language about independent media and journalists, his latest address to the new owner cannot be viewed in isolation. It represents a continuation of the long-standing rhetoric used by government representatives to portray critical media as political opponents and enemies of the state.
We call on Minister Boris Bratina to stop publicly discrediting journalists and media outlets and to refrain from any conduct that could be interpreted as pressure on their owners, management or editorial policies.
We expect Alpac Capital and the management of Adria News Network to clearly and publicly confirm that political messages and demands from government representatives will have no influence on staffing or editorial decisions at N1, Nova and other media outlets within the group, and to provide employees with concrete guarantees that their professional and editorial independence will be preserved.
We also expect the competent domestic and European regulatory institutions to closely monitor all circumstances surrounding the changes in ownership and management and, within their respective mandates, prevent any political or ownership influence that could undermine media pluralism and the right of citizens in Serbia to receive information from diverse, professional and critical sources.
Media freedom does not include the right of those in power to decide which media outlets should exist, who should own them, or what editorial policies they should pursue. It is precisely the duty of the minister responsible for information to protect that boundary, not to cross it.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS)
Belgrade, 21 August 2026
