ANEM: Politicians in Serbia Wage War on Journalists, Echoing 1998-2000 Era

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has issued a stark warning on World Media Freedom Day, drawing a chilling parallel between the current political climate in Serbia and the repressive era of 1998-2000. ANEM asserts that politicians are engaged in a "war against journalists," a situation eerily reminiscent of the past when media was systematically targeted.

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The political climate, unfortunately, is very similar to the period from 1998 to 2000, when politicians waged war against the media, including the then Minister of Information, and current President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.

According to ANEM, the political climate today mirrors that of the late 1990s, a period when political figures, including the current president, then Minister of Information, Aleksandar Vučić, actively waged war against the media. This comparison is not hyperbole; ANEM points to Reporters Without Borders' findings, which rank Serbia at a dismal 151st out of 180 countries in press freedom. This low ranking, they argue, is a direct consequence of the ruling politicians' behavior towards journalists and media outlets.

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Such a war against journalists is being waged in Serbia today and, according to Reporters Without Borders, the behavior of ruling politicians against journalists and the media, if only that were measured, Serbia would be in 151st place out of 180 countries in which press freedom is measured.

The organization highlights a disturbing trend of over 200 cases filed in prosecutor's offices concerning threats and violence against journalists in just two years, yet resulting in a mere five convictions. This alarming statistic underscores a pervasive culture of impunity, where physical attacks and threats by pro-government elements and even law enforcement often go unpunished. This environment is further exacerbated by the government's alleged manipulation of media funding, directing project subsidies primarily towards pro-government media and GONGOs, thus impoverishing genuine professional media.

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A huge number of incidents and physical attacks in which journalists were a constant target of the paramilitary and police resulted in a significant increase in the number of cases in the prosecutor's offices and a symbolic number of convictions. In two years, more than 200 cases were formed and only five convictions for threats and violence against journalists.

ANEM also points to the paralysis of regulatory bodies, such as the absence of a Council for the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) for over a year and a half, leading to unchecked hate speech and chaos in the airwaves. The government's consistent disregard for the Law on Public Media Services and the Information Minister's public attacks on independent media further compound the problem. The recent controversial decision by the Appellate Court regarding the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija, deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court, is cited as a culmination of this systemic injustice against journalists. Despite these immense challenges, ANEM reaffirms its commitment to professional journalism and the survival of independent media in Serbia.

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The impoverishment of true professional media has continued with the help of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, which, by influencing the way commissions are formed, is making every effort to direct budget funds for project co-financing exclusively to pro-government media and government non-governmental organizations (GONGOs).