“N1 Serbia is on a general strike today, and we will solely report on the strike and protests because we want to show solidarity with the students and their fight for a more just society,” said N1 Program Director Igor Bozic.
“The role of the media is to fight for a more just society, to stand with the weaker side. Right now, that side is the citizens who are unable to exercise their rights, especially following the tragedy in Novi Sad. People want justice, but they are not getting it, and it is our duty to be the voice of these people,” Bozic emphasized.
N1 Serbia is among the media outlets participating in the general strike on Friday.
In response to some government officials’ claims that N1 cannot be on strike while broadcasting, Bozic clarified: “Employees at N1 who are not directly involved in today’s program are free to not work today.”
“N1 has decided to inform the public exclusively on how the protests are being organized – specifically, how the general strike is being carried out. I would rather call it civil disobedience. We have excused all departments from work today. So, employees who are not directly involved in today’s programming are free to not work, meaning they are on strike,” Bozic explained.
The decision to strike at N1 TV, Nova TV, and the Danas daily is a response to a call from the Coalition for Media Freedom.
On Thursday, the Information and Telecommunications Ministry said that the strike is in violation of the Law on Public Information and Media and that the Coalition for Media Freedom is grossly interfering with editorial policies by directly engaging in political agitation.
“My response to that is that every media outlet has the right to decide what it believes it needs to do. I think the Ministry of Information has placed itself in the service of a political option with this statement. Editorial policy should be free for every media outlet. If media like N1, Nova, Danas, BIRN, decide on their own to stand in solidarity with civil disobedience, I truly don’t see what the problem is,” said Bozic.
Some ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) officials on Thursday used social media to urge people against watching N1 or Nova TV, calling them to instead “drink the most expensive whiskey, pay bills,” and so on.
“All those messages, coming from senior officials of the ruling party, remind me of the bloody middle finger that was shared on social media earlier. It is a demonstration of force, and I would say, arrogance, in a very tragic situation our society has found itself in. It feels like throwing a boomerang, which will come back to the thrower,” said Bozic.
He added that the government representatives have defined N1 and Nova TV as “political opponents.”
“They try every day to portray us as political opponents, without attempting to understand that the media and journalists are free, that editors can be free, and that they don’t have to listen to the orders of those in power,” Bozic stressed.
N1’s website will also be dedicated solely to covering the general strike on Friday.
“Our website will only cover news related to the protests, specifically the general strike. There will be no other stories. You won’t even see the weather forecast today,” said N1 Program Director Igor Bozic.
Source: N1
