Serbia: Staff dismissals at RTV Vojvodina (PSB) provoke strong reactions

Radio Television of Vojvodina

Journalists’ and media associations in Serbia strongly condemned staff dismissals at the Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV), the public service broadcaster of the autonomous province of Vojvodina (one of the two PSBs in Serbia).  They stressed in a joint press release (of 18 May 2016) that the dismissals are a consequence of political pressure and instrumentalization of this PSB by the authorities.

Journalists’ and media associations report that program director of RTV, Slobodan Arežina, was replaced; general director Srđan Mihajlović resigned under political pressure, claim the associations; seven editors of news program of RTV were laid off; editor in chief of the Frist Program of the Television Novi Sad, Marjana Jović, resigned.

“Cleaning up” of the Vojvodina PSB by the government dictate

It is expected that that “cleaning up” of Radio Television Vojvodina by removing “unsuitable” editors and journalists will continue, claim the associations stressing that the changes are implemented in an unacceptable manner – by telephone calls and verbal orders.

The events at RTV remind of the beginning of 1990s when several hundred most reputable journalists and editors of the then Radio Television Novi Sad who refused to put them themselves at the service of Slobodan Milošević’s regime were fired, sent on a forced leave or marginalized, state the associations.

They call on international and non-governmental organizations to issue statements regarding “political violence” that the government is carrying out over RTV, its editors and journalists and point out that events at this media outlet completely undermine the idea of public service media and show the real face of the Serbian authorities.

International stakeholders informed about the associations’ concerns

President of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, Vukašin Obradović, and president of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, Nedim Sejdinović, voiced their concerns over the events at RTV in a meeting with Michael Davenport, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Peter Burkhard, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Tim Cartwright, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade.

Obradović and Sejdinović said in the meeting that the dismissals of editors at RTV represent an open political pressure and seriously endanger independence of the public service broadcaster.  They emphasized the unacceptable treatment of PSBs by the authorities, while pointing out that PSBs must serve citizens’ interests and not those of political parties. Obradović and Sejdinović voiced great concern over the manner in which the editors were dismissed and serious consequences that this can create regarding the program of the Vojvodina public service broadcaster.

RTV employees seek citizens’ support

Regarding the events at the RTV, the Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vučić, said that everything is done through Managing Board at this media outlet and that there is no influence of politics in this case. “As I can see, things are done there according to the law for the first time. Why should I be concerned when the things are happening according to the law?”, Vučić said, reports Belgrade daily Danas.

There are no statements coming from the Managing Board of the RTV, Daily Danas  reports. Danas had no success in trying to contact the interim general director of the media outlet.

In the meantime, the signed list of dissatisfied RTV employees is growing. They invited the citizens, as real owners of the public service broadcaster, to support them in the efforts to preserve RTV, reports daily Danas. The daily has information that the protest over the changes at the RTV will be held on 23 May in Novi Sad.

Fayon: There is impression that media are put in the service of the government

“In the past several days I received numerous concerning warnings from Serbia regarding sudden replacement of the editorial management of Radio Television of Vojvodina. If it is established that the replacements are politically motivated, it is another very bad sign for the future of the media and democracy in Serbia”, Tanya Fayon, Member of the European Parliament, said in a statement to Belgrade daily Danas.

Fayon said that instead of efforts towards independent and more professional journalism that is primarily at the service of citizens, one gets the impression that the media are placed in the service of the government.

Fayon also reminded of the OSCE post-election report findings that showed dissatisfactory state of the media in Serbia through unfair coverage of political actors. “I am afraid that media situation in Serbia is not changing in a right direction and I call on all those who create this situation on a daily basis to act more responsibly. Without free media we cannot speak of healthy democracy and social progress, Tanya Fayon concluded.