MCCM
RESILIENCE
OUR MEDIA
Because of “censorship” that has been carried out on the Radio-Television of Vojvodina (RTV) for the past three months, RTV journalist Sanja Kljajić, one of the leaders of the movement Podrži RTV (“Give support to RTV”), submitted to the management of that media house a request for termination of employment, NDNV reported.
On the occasion of the submitted resignation, we contacted journalist Sanja Kljajić who explained for Fairpress the reasons behind such a decision.
I resigned due to censorship that has been carried out on that television for three months, day after day; the moment in which I drew the line was the censoring of a TV report on workers’ rights, a matter on which all media outlets have been reporting on for months, only RTV is staying silent. I believe journalism is a calling in which we cannot make such compromises with the truth and I don’t want to be a part of that.
As a movement we are still insisting on the same demands, and regarding that matter nothing has changed nor does my resignation affect that. As I said three months ago, wherever each of us is going to be in autumn, we will continue to lead the fight for the public service, because we didn’t enter it because of our positions, but because of our responsibility towards the profession and because of the importance of the public service, which is owned by all of us and not a handful of minions, Sanja Kljajić for Fairpress.
To recall, at the beginning of May the Management board of RTV illegally sacked the director of the programme, Slobodan Arežina, and following that, 14 editors and hosts of daily news shows. On the occasion of the dismissals, the movement “Podrži RTV” (“Give support to RTV”) demanded of the acting management of Radio-Television of Vojvodina to explain by which criteria they were guided by when they were deciding on which colleagues won’t have their copyright contracts extended.
However, the explanation for such a suspension of cooperation was left missing, it is stated in the press release of the movement. Furthermore, they emphasised that this is a matter of open pressure put on colleagues who raised their voices against illegal dismissals and for the preservation of professional principles and that there is suspicion that in this way space is being made for new jobs for “fit” journalists from other media houses.
This article was originally published by FairPress.eu
Read about the RTV Vojvodina case on SEENPM.org:
Extreme job cuts at Serbian regional broadcaster: “The citizen’s majority is disengaged”
Serbia: Outrage over Post-Election Dismissals in Public Broadcaster
EU Delegation, OSCE Mission, closely following situation in Serbia’s public service broadcasters
Serbia: Europe follows changes at the Radio Television of Vojvodina
Serbia: Staff dismissals at RTV Vojvodina (PSB) provoke strong reactions
