The regional “Srdjan Aleksic Award”, which honors individuals and organizations promoting human rights and defending vulnerable groups, has been awarded to the newsroom of N1 Television in the media category.
Igor Bozic, N1’s Program Director, accepted the award, saying that receiving a prize named after Srdjan Aleksic carries a profound meaning.
“If someone receives an award that bears the name of Srdjan Aleksic, it means they have defended the ‘little person’,” Bozic said, referencing the young Bosnian Serb who was killed in 1993 while defending his Bosniak neighbor from an attack – now a symbol of civic courage across the region.
Bozic emphasized that the award belongs to reporters working in the field every day:
“This means a great deal to our newsroom and to colleagues who tonight are again covering protests in Nis and Sid. Our crews tirelessly follow people who are fighting for justice in Serbia.
But let’s not forget – alongside their work on the ground, our journalists are exposed to continuous media harassment and daily attacks in pro-government outlets, which demonize them and try to portray them as people who do not tell the truth.”
Bozic thanked the jury for recognizing N1’s commitment to factual reporting:
“To receive an award named after Aleksic means you have done everything possible to defend the ordinary citizen. That is what we have been doing for 11 years.”
The jury said the award reflects N1’s role in protecting democratic values:
“N1 has shown that independent journalism is not a luxury but an essential pillar of democracy in a society under pressure,” the committee wrote.
Source: N1
