Journalist Stefan Cvetković from the northern Serbian town of Bela Crkva was found on the morning of 15th June after having disappeared on Wednesday evening, while his car was found with the door open and a wrist watch beside the car on the street, which prompted suspicion among the public that he had been kidnapped. Further fuelling these doubts was the fact that Cvetković reported having received several verbal threats and physical attacks in recent years, while he has recently been investigating the murder of Kosovo Serb opposition leader Oliver Ivanović.
English
02. jul 2018.
NUNS-owned company borrowed money from an opposition politician
As revealed by portal Cenzolovka, the Media Centre, a company owned by one of the two largest journalists’ associations in Serbia, the Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (NUNS), borrowed around €50,000 from current opposition politician, businessman and former Belgrade mayor Dragan Đilas. According to former Anti-Corruption Council president Verica Barać, Đilas controlled the media in Serbia thanks to his huge influence on the advertising market, especially while he was in power as a member of the Democratic Party.
English
02. jul 2018.
McAllister: No progress on media freedom in Serbia
In his draft report on Serbia to the European Parliament, rapporteur David McAllister reiterated concerns over Serbia having not made progress in the area of freedom of media and expression, stressing that threats, violence and intimidation of journalists continue to be a concern.
English
01. jul 2018.
Minister proposes working group be formed to defend against fake news
Investigative journalist Stefan Cvetković, who disappeared last month, only to report to police two days later claiming to have been kidnapped and detained against his will in an unknown location, appeared before prosecutors who have filed criminal charges against him for making false claims. Cvetković later announced that he would present new evidence proving that he had been kidnapped.
English
12. jun 2018.
Online legal guide through labor rights for journalists published
Web site U pravu si! for journalists explains in simple and clear manner legal rights and obligations related to labor for media professionals. Guide in particular addresses media professionals unionizing.
English
01. jun 2018.
New Media Strategy by Year’s End
After a stop was called to the process of developing the national media strategy at the end of April, it has been announced that a new strategy should be adopted by the end of this year.
English
01. jun 2018.
Vučić: No more attacks against journalists and the media
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in an interview for Euronews that there have not been and will not be “horrific attacks and murders” in Serbia, like there have been in Slovakia, Malta and recently in Montenegro, where a journalist of newspaper Vijesti was injured.
English
01. jun 2018.
City of Belgrade Grants Funds to the Media for Praising the Authorities
A competition for project co-financing of the media saw the City of Belgrade grant the majority of funds approved through last year’s competition to pro-regime media outlets, some of which openly stated in project documentation that in return for that money they will promote local government success, writes research portal Pištaljka (Whistle).
English
01. jun 2018.
Man arrested for making death threats to journalist
Police have arrested a 56-year-old man from Subotica, a town in northern Serbia, according to a warrant of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, on suspicion of threatening to kill journalist Tatjana Vojtehovski on Twitter.
English
01. jun 2018.
Journalists’ and media associations withdraw from commissions for co-funding media projects
The six largest media and journalists' associations in Serbia have withdrawn in protest from the Ministry of Culture and Information’s commissions for the co-funding media projects.
English
01. jun 2018.
Information Minister: Work on the new media strategy has not returned to the start, media freedom is not declining
The drafting of the media strategy has not been returned to the start, rather work on it was halted in an attempt to ensure the inclusion all relevant media scene actors in the drafting of the strategy, announced Minister of Culture and Information Vladan Vukosavljević, adding that he did not feel accountable for the fact that this document has yet to be adopted.
English
01. jun 2018.
EC and RWB: media freedom situation in Serbia worrying; IREX: the worst year in memory
Serbia has not made progress in the area of freedom of expression over the past 18 months, according to the recently published European Commission's Report on the EU integration progress of the Western Balkan countries. At the same time, organisation Reporters Without Borders states that Serbia has regressed on freedom of the media, while the report of IREX gave Serbia the lowest rating in its media sustainability index since measuring has started in 2000.
English
01. jun 2018.
Media strategy drafting halted
The drafting of the national media strategy has been halted following consultations between President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, announced Vučić’s media advisor Suzana Vasiljević.
English
01. jun 2018.
Crowdfunding campaign to save local weekly
After 20 years of publishing and 1,000 editions, one of the most respected local media outlets in Serbia, news weekly Kikindske – based in the northern Serbian town of Kikinda – recently launched a crowdfunding campaign with the idea of providing the funds necessary to cover printing costs and ensure unhindered editorial work, as well as for “readers to help Kikindske in its fight against censorship”.
English
16. apr 2018.
Désir: Journalists’ security and media strategy crucial
The new OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, said during a recent visit to Serbia that this organisation is particularly concerned about the safety of journalists in the country, and that it is very important to shed light on attacks and unresolved murders of journalists.
English
16. apr 2018.
Freedom House: Media freedom and democracy on the decline in Serbia
For the fourth consecutive year, the state of democracy in Serbia has deteriorated – on the issues of media independence, the civil sector, state administration and local government, while power is continuing to be concentrated in the hands of President Aleksandar Vučić, according to the latest Freedom House report on countries in transition.
English
16. apr 2018.
Inspections of Southern News Continue
More than five months after the launch of unusually detailed inspections of Južnih vesti – the most popular independent media company in southern Serbia, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić has spoken with the Director of the Tax Administration and stated that checks should be completed in the shortest possible time, in order not to further hinder work, “provided there are no indications that they should be further expanded”, reports agency FoNet.
English
16. apr 2018.
Media strategy finally complete, public debate coming soon
After a delay of more than a year, the working group within the Ministry of Culture and Information has, according to the minister, completed the media strategy that should be subjected to public debate in the coming days.
English
16. apr 2018.
Government pressure on local media via inspection controls
One of the most highly-reputed and well-read local media outlets in Serbia, portal Južne vesti (Southern News), based in the southeast Serbian city of Niš, has been subjected to monitoring by two parallel inspections for the past several months, on the basis of “anonymous reports”.
English
16. apr 2018.
BBC Serbian starts operating
Seven years after the cancelling of its radio programme in Serbia, the BBC has returned to the country. Late March saw the launch of the BBC’s digital platform in the Serbian language (bbc.com/serbian).