The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns the smear campaign being waged in pro-government tabloids against N1 Television journalist Danica Vučenić, as well as today’s address by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, in which he once again accused Nova and N1 of “undermining the constitutional order” and spreading “lies.”
The tabloid Večernje novosti published an article titled “SHOOT VUČIĆ – DANICA VUČENIĆ: What’s controversial (VIDEO),” suggesting that after the arrest of journalist Aleksandar Dikić, Danica Vučenić, in a conversation with his lawyer Ivan Ninić, said that she “doesn’t see anything controversial” in the alleged call for violence. This claim is false and represents a crude manipulation of the programme’s content.
The journalist did not say that she “doesn’t see anything controversial” in the alleged call to shoot the President. Instead, she asked the lawyer: “It is not clear why he is being charged with undermining the constitutional order, given that we do not see that in the statement. What is this about?” Such twisting of her words is a textbook example of tabloid propaganda aimed at discrediting the journalist and fuelling hostility toward the media outlet.
IJAS warns that smear campaigns and the targeting of journalists and media outlets are extremely dangerous, as they create a lynch-mob atmosphere in which threats and attacks are perceived as “permissible,” and journalists become targets because of their professional work. It is particularly alarming when such narratives are further encouraged by statements from the highest state officials.
This manipulative story was echoed by other pro-government media, after which their journalists sought a reaction from the President today, and he continued with the same narrative. In his remarks, President Vučić stated, regarding the banning of N1 and Nova, that they “could have done it long ago in accordance with the law because they have countless times called for the overthrow of the constitutional order and very actively participated in it,” while simultaneously using delegitimizing language, accusing these broadcasters of spreading hatred and of lying “about severely injured and dead boys in Valjevo.”
IJAS reminds that holders of the highest public offices bear a special responsibility not to incite hostility toward journalists and the media, as such rhetoric directly endangers the safety of media workers and further narrows the space for free and professional journalism. It is unacceptable that the President of the Republic, instead of de-escalating tensions and respecting the role of the media in a democratic society, publicly targets newsrooms whose editorial policies he disagrees with.
For all these reasons, IJAS once again appeals to the President of the Republic of Serbia to stop targeting journalists and the media and to stop spreading hatred toward newsrooms that report critically. We also call on the media to respect professional standards and to cease manipulations and fabricated narratives that endanger individuals’ safety, and we call on the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications to respond to systematic smear campaigns.
Media freedom and journalists’ safety are not a matter of political will, but a constitutional and international obligation of the state. The public has the right to information, and journalists have the right to work without fear, threats, and institutionally encouraged stigmatization.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, 25 December 2025
