Media outlets owned by United Group launched an initiative to find a new investor to buy them from the parent company, with strong support from journalists across Serbia and the region who said that without free media, there no society can be free.
The editorial teams of the United Group media outlets proposed a sale under market conditions, with financial backing from credible external investors.
“The initiative is an excellent one, and I particularly welcome the fact that all United Group media outlets are acting together—because together we are stronger. Unfortunately, the opportunity to strengthen independent and free media in this country was missed back on October 5th. That’s not surprising, though, because wherever big capital enters, the only goal is profit. When it comes to media, freedom of expression and independence are often ignored and treated as irrelevant,” Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) president Zeljko Bodrozic told the Nova.rs portal. He added that when Dragan Solak was part of the United Group senior management the media outlets were free to operate without pressure. According to him, turning those media outlets into joint-stock companies could be a solution. “That’s certainly one of the possible ways forward. What’s needed are people who will stand behind the newsrooms. The public must also get involved. The initiative from United Group’s newsrooms should now be developed and linked to the civic discontent that’s currently growing—people are more sensitive to injustice and more willing to react. Our society still lags behind the developed world, but in recent years we’ve been making gradual progress and realizing that media freedom is the foundation of a free society,” he said.
The Challenge of Financing Without Political Pressure
Journalists from neighboring countries agree that initiatives like this are one of the few remaining paths forward.
“It’s crucial that any new owner first addresses the public and explains their plans clearly. I support every initiative you launch. However, from experience, I must admit that relying on investors is not an ideal solution—but unfortunately, there’s no alternative at the moment. We still haven’t found a sustainable model for financing that’s free from political pressure, which is the only way free media can survive,” European Federation of Journalists President Maja Sever told Nova.rs.
Sever added that stable financing is the only way to preserve journalism as a public asset. “It’s important for our colleagues from United Group to assess whether there are capable and trustworthy people willing to take over their editorial teams. You are a large operation, and that requires serious funding. Still, there are people who love Serbia, and they should come together to ensure that the public has access to transparent, independent, and free information—without which we remain in the dark,” she said.
The Nova editorial staff said that journalists do not have the funds to buy even a single outlet on their own. They believe that they needtrustworthy investors who will allow them to do their jobs freely.
The current owner continues to pledge commitment to editorial independence in Serbia, but at the global level has announced plans to withdraw from all markets outside the European Union. As a result, it has begun selling off its operations to state entities—in Bosnia, Montenegro, and now Serbia.
A critical moment for a solution
Nova.rs said that the way the authorities manage the media outlets they control is a known fact which is why independent journalists now have an even greater responsibility to uphold professionalism. “We also owe it to our audience—now numbering in the millions—who have placed their trust in us. They don’t want to see our editorial policy changed, undermined, or influenced whether by the owner or the regime. What we want is a clean situation: freedom to operate, both now and in the years to come,” Nova.rs editor-in-chief Mihailo Jovicevic said.
Following the changes in United Group’s management, the public learned that individuals outside the company—specifically Serbia’s president, members of the executive branch, and the CEO of the state-controlled Telekom Serbia Vladimir Lucic—could be involved in shaping the future of United Media (the owner of record of Nova, N1, Danas and Radar).
Last February President Aleksandar Vucic said that United Group failed to secure financing and that layoffs would come in November. With November now underway—the period when final budgets for 2026 and long-term plans for the next five years are drawn up—the need to resolve this issue has become urgent.
This context prompted United Group’s editorial teams to propose a management buyout—the purchase of Nova.rs and the Nova newspaper from United Group.
The goal is clear: to ensure the institutional and editorial independence of these outlets on sustainable principles, in line with the best European practices. Under this model, editorial leadership would assume full corporate responsibility and management, preventing any political or commercial interference in editorial policy.
Source: N1
