Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) condemns the statement of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, in which he insults RTS (Radio and Television of Serbia) correspondents from Niš, Dejan Tasić and Lidija Georgijev, and calls on him to publicly apologize for it. It is unacceptable for an institution that should represent the unity of the citizens of Serbia to insult, discriminate and put pressure on journalists and the media in any way.
Apparently dissatisfied with the reporting from Niš, the President belittled the RTS correspondents in his speech, and called Lidija Georgijev an “imbecile” who “flatters the protesters”, at the same time giving lessons on journalism, even though the president himself is not a journalist.
We call on the President to publicly apologize to RTS correspondents and start nurturing the culture and ethics of public speech, not to use hate speech and aggressive rhetoric that incites discrimination and aggressive behavior.
The President of the Republic is not competent to influence the editorial policy of the media, and the role of the Public Media Service is to truthfully, impartially, completely and timely inform the citizens of Serbia.
The Law on Public Media Services clearly states that the Public Media Service is an independent and autonomous legal entity that, by performing its core activity, enables the realization of public interest in the field of public information. Also, according to the Law, any form of censorship and illegal influence on the work of public media services, newsrooms and journalists is prohibited.
We call on Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) to resist these pressures and not put pressure on journalists who want to do their job professionally.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS),
Belgrade, March 3, 2025
