Reporters Without Borders urges transparency in ANN sale, warns of potential political influence

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has expressed serious concerns regarding the sale of the Adria News Network (ANN), a media group encompassing significant outlets in the Balkans, including Serbia's N1 television and Montenegro's Vijesti. RSF is calling for complete transparency in the funding of the prospective buyer, Portuguese investment group Alpac Capital, and for legally binding guarantees of editorial independence to be established before European authorities sanction the acquisition.

The sale is poised to reshape the media landscape in the Balkans. RSF points out that the source of funding for Alpac Capital has not been publicly disclosed, raising alarms about potential hidden influences. Pavol Szalai, RSF's Prague Bureau Director, stated that the "sale of ANN amounts to a media ownership earthquake in the Balkans." He emphasized the critical need for "key information about the funding and strong firewalls between the owners and newsrooms is missing." Szalai warned that opaque funding can lead to "dangerous liaisons" that may compromise editorial integrity, particularly for outlets like N1 and Vijesti, which have historically faced pressure from the Serbian government.

RSF has attempted to contact Alpac Capital and its CEO, Pedro Vargas David, for details regarding the funding, editorial guarantees, and other aspects of the deal. However, as of the report, neither the investment group nor its CEO had responded. Serbia currently ranks 104th and Montenegro 41st out of 180 countries in RSF's World Press Freedom Index, underscoring the sensitivity of media ownership and independence in the region. RSF urges European regulators to make the approval of this acquisition conditional on "real, verifiable guarantees of editorial independence."

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The sale of ANN amounts to a media ownership earthquake in the Balkans and key information about the funding and strong firewalls between the owners and newsrooms is missing. Opaque funding favours dangerous liaisons, which may weigh on the outlets’ editorial independence – historically embodied by ANN’s Balkan media N1 and Vijesti, two outlets targeted by the Serbian government. We call on Alpac Capital to disclose the information and on European regulators to condition the approval of the acquisition by real, verifiable guarantees of editorial independence.