The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) expresses serious concern over the decision of the City of Novi Pazar to once again allocate the majority of funds from the public competition for co-financing projects of public interest in the field of public information to Radio Television Novi Pazar, thus continuing a long-standing practice of selective and unjustified distribution of public funds to a single media outlet.
Also, IJAS is concerned about the unusual decision of the City of Kragujevac, to distribute 8.8 million dinars out of the 12.6 million dinars, and to allocate a large part of the money to media outlets that are not from that city.
Of the publishers from Kragujevac, the money was mostly given to those who are unknown to the public, while the projects of the most influential media were not approved, which indicates possible discrimination.
At the competition held in Novi Pazar, the total amount intended for co-financing of media projects was 41 million dinars, and even 30.8 million dinars went to Radio Television Novi Pazar.
A particularly concerning fact is that the other media outlets that participated in this competition received significantly smaller amounts.
We remind that this is a private media outlet that is predominantly funded by public money, which raises serious concerns about the misuse of public funds and the undermining of equality among media outlets.
According to the financial report submitted to the Serbian Business Registers Agency, Novi Pazar Television earned RSD 35 million from the contest last year, which is more than two-thirds of the publisher’s total revenue. This raises the suspicion that regular activities of the media are financed from these funds, which is contrary to the principles of competitive co-financing.
If public funds are used to systematically favor one media, it represents discrimination, a direct threat to media freedom and the democratic order.
Co-financing of projects of public importance must be based on clearly defined criteria, in accordance with the law, and must contribute to the pluralism of the media landscape, not to its deterioration.
IJAS calls on the authorities in Novi Pazar and Kragujevac to stop this practice and ensure that tenders are conducted in accordance with the principles of transparency, responsibility and fair distribution of funds. Also, we call on the authorities in Kragujevac to immediately cancel the final decision and distribute the funds in a fair and objective manner.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS),
Belgrade, May 13, 2025
