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Serbian Media Accused of Inflammatory Reporting on Karleuša Concert Backlash in Croatia
🇭🇷 Croatia /Culture & Society

Serbian Media Accused of Inflammatory Reporting on Karleuša Concert Backlash in Croatia

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Serbian tabloids like Informer and Kurir have reported on the backlash against singer Jelena Karleuša's planned performance in Vodice, Croatia.
  • These outlets framed the controversy as an attack by Croats on a Serbian artist, using inflammatory language and downplaying the actual reasons for the public's discontent.
  • The Croatian mayor clarified that the opposition stems from Karleuša's past controversial statements about Croatia and its people, not her nationality.

Serbian tabloids are fueling controversy over a planned concert by Serbian singer Jelena Karleuša in Vodice, Croatia, by misrepresenting the reasons behind local opposition.

Ustaše attacked Karleuša! Urgent statement from the club: 'We will not tolerate threats.'

— Informer headlineThe headline used by the Serbian tabloid Informer to describe the backlash against Jelena Karleuša's concert.

Outlets such as Informer and Kurir have accused Croats of attacking the singer, using terms like "Ustaše" (a reference to Croatia's WWII-era fascist regime) in headlines. Informer's headline, "Ustaše attacked Karleuša! Urgent statement from the club: 'We will not tolerate threats,'" directly labels critics as "Ustaše," despite Vodice Mayor Ante Cukrov explicitly stating that the issue is not Karleuša's Serbian origin.

Mayor Cukrov clarified that the dissatisfaction arises from Karleuša's previous statements about Croatia and Croats. He emphasized that her background is not the problem, but rather her past public remarks. However, Serbian media have largely ignored this distinction, framing the situation as a nationalist attack.

We will not tolerate threats.

— Hacienda club statement (via Informer)Quoted in the Informer headline regarding the planned concert.

This reporting pattern is consistent with how these outlets, particularly the pro-government Informer, have covered other events. Informer has been previously criticized for propaganda, including against student protests. Other outlets like Telegraf and Kurir have also sensationalized Cukrov's comments, describing his statement that the artist is "not welcome" due to her views as a "brutal attack."

Brutal attack on Karleuša before the concert in Dalmatia! Croatian politician did not mince words.

— Telegraf headlineThe headline used by the Serbian tabloid Telegraf to describe the situation.

The controversy is linked to Karleuša's past statements, including a February 2025 appearance on Informer TV where she commented on Serbian student protests. During the discussion, she claimed to hear "a dialect of the Serbian language" among the protesters, implying the Croatian language is merely a dialect of Serbian and attempting to link the presence of individuals from Croatia to anti-government sentiment.

Mayor of Vodice brutally attacked Karleuša.

— Kurir headlineThe headline used by the Serbian tabloid Kurir to describe the mayor's reaction.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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