N1 and Forbes Union Demands Clarity on Editorial Standards Amidst Ownership Change

The Independent Trade Union at N1 and Forbes Serbia has formally requested the new leadership to clearly define the future editorial standards for the media outlets. The union seeks concrete assurances regarding the preservation of editorial independence and the protection of professional rights for all employees.

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Our journalists and editors have been working for years in accordance with the highest professional standards: they verify information, confront public officials with facts, and are accountable to the public, not to political or ownership interests.

This demand arises in the context of a planned takeover of Adria News Network by Alpac Capital. Previous statements from management, including those questioning the regulatory status of N1 Belgrade and Nova S, and suggesting their editorial line had become politically aligned against the government, have fueled the union's concerns.

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This is not called activism. This is called journalism.

Union representatives countered these claims, emphasizing that their journalists have consistently adhered to high professional standards, including fact-checking and holding public officials accountable. They argue that this rigorous approach is journalism, not activism, and is recognized as such by international journalistic organizations. The union views the accusations of activism as originating solely from government representatives.

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All relevant international journalistic organizations assess N1 exclusively as a professional medium of key importance for the pluralism of opinion in Serbia, while accusations of alleged 'activism' have so far only come from government representatives.

Furthermore, the union is pushing for a meeting with Alpac Capital representatives to initiate collective bargaining. They are particularly keen to ensure that journalists who uphold professional and ethical standards will not face repercussions, such as dismissal or professional limitations, due to their reporting or the questions they pose. The union aims to distinguish between journalism that scrutinizes power centers and reporting that adopts a political agenda.

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The difference that Vargas David made relates to journalism that questions every center of power, on the one hand, and journalism that adopts a political goal or becomes part of the events it reports on, on the other hand.