Journalists’ and media associations and trade unions are warning the domestic and international public of a dramatic escalation of pressure and attempts to completely take over independent media in Serbia.
The decision to dismiss N1 Television director Igor Božić, made by Brent Sadler, is a serious signal that the authorities, in coordination with the new ownership structures, have entered the final phase of establishing control over one of the last remaining pillars of independent journalism in Serbia. This move cannot be seen as an isolated personnel change, but rather as the beginning of a broader process of dismissals, pressure, and restructuring within the newsrooms of the Adria News Network.
Particularly concerning is the fact that the employees themselves, through the “Nezavisnost” Trade Union at N1 and Forbes Serbia, have publicly stated that they do not view Igor Božić’s dismissal as an isolated move, but as the beginning of a process that could endanger the future organization of work, open the door to new personnel decisions, and affect editorial independence. For this reason, the union has requested an urgent meeting with management and written guarantees that there is no plan to reduce the number of employees or undermine the existing editorial independence. This clearly expressed concern by employees further confirms the reasons why journalists’, media associations, and trade unions are deeply alarmed by developments in these media outlets.
These developments must also be viewed in the context of previously published information, including allegations and recordings indicating direct communication between the state-owned company Telekom Srbija and representatives of United Group, in which pressure related to reducing the scope of operations and changes in the management structure was mentioned. These allegations point to the existence of a coordinated strategy aimed at neutralizing editorial independence.
If the editorial policy of these media outlets is changed, Serbia would be left without a large part of its independent media scene. Such a scenario would represent a dramatic narrowing of the space for professional, critical, and pluralistic public information, with unforeseeable consequences for the public interest and the democratic order.
These processes are unfolding in the context of a deepening political and social crisis, marked by increasing repressive measures, arrests, police brutality, and the systematic suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. In such circumstances, independent media represent one of the last mechanisms of public oversight and government accountability.
Particularly alarming is the fact that all of this is happening on the eve of elections. Holding elections in conditions where there is no space for critical journalism, alternative political voices, and informed public debate calls into question their fairness and democratic legitimacy.
Journalists’ and media associations and trade unions call on the European Union, the OSCE, the United Nations, and all relevant international actors to react urgently and decisively.
Monitoring the situation is no longer enough. What is needed is direct engagement and the use of all available political and diplomatic mechanisms to prevent the further erosion of media freedom and to protect journalists and media outlets under pressure.
The absence of a decisive reaction at this moment would allow the process of media capture in Serbia to be completed. In such an environment, the authorities would remain without any oversight, opening the door to further suppression of critical thought and the collapse of democratic institutions.
Belgrade, April 4, 2026
Media Association, the Online Media Association (AOM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (IJAV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Lokal Pres,” the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation the “Nezavisnost” Branch Trade Union of Culture, Art and Media and the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)
