A network of journalists has called for solidarity with Serbian reporters being attacked by the pro-government media – and has urged people to boycott the tabloid Informer.

Source: Balkan Insight

About 40 journalists from the informal organization “Journalists Network” have called on colleagues throughout former Yugoslavia to show solidarity with the Serbian journalists being targeted by Serbia’s pro-government media.

The call for action comes after the Belgrade tabloid Informer launched a series of attacks on Stevan Dojcinovic, the editor of KRIK, an investigative journalism portal.

Several journalists have created a Twitter hashtag of support for KRIK – #podrziKRIK# {support KRIK} – calling also for a boycott of Informer.

Dusan Masic, creator of the Twitter support action, told BIRN that the attacks on KRIK and Dojcinovic are a way of disciplining journalists who do not back Serbia’s ruling party.

“The goal is not only to crush KRIK’s credibility but to criminalize Dojcinovic as the first man of this organization. This is a clear message to journalists who do not want to respect the unwritten rules of the Serbian Progressive Party,” Masic said.

“The idea of a boycott is simple. It is an appeal to thinking people not to give statements to Informerand also an invitation to people not to buy that falsely called ‘newspaper,’” Masic said.

Informer last Thursday accused Dojcinovic of planning to publish a false article about Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, alleging he had concealed ownership of millions worth of assets.

The paper said KRIK planned to publish an article accusing Vucic of hiding his ownership of major assets in Belgrade through members of his family.

The article included a blurred photograph of KRIK’s leading journalist and details of the as yet unpublished investigative report.

Informer put Dojcinovic on the front page with the headline “Mafia strikes Vucic family” and the subheading – “Exclusive: How media-politics-tycoon racketeers are planning to destroy the State”.

The series of articles continued on Friday with a front page entitled “Sado-masochistic French spy”.

After several Serbian journalists organizations criticized Informer for unprofessionalism and for creating a lynch-like atmosphere, Informer continued on Saturday with a front page entitled “Fascists: The EU is asking to ban Informer”.

The Journalists Network accused the pro-government media outlet of violating the ethics code and of targeting “unsuitable” public figures,

“This not only threatens the security of individuals but also promotes hatred and violence as the only means of communication… These media are just the long arm of the government, led by Prime Minister Vucic, who has never tried to distance himself from the downturn in the profession and the humanity in the media under their control,” Journalists Network said on Sunday.

Attacks by Informer on KRIK have become almost routine since the investigative team started work in April 2015.

In November 2015, it published a series of articles accusing KRIK, the Centre for Investigative Journalism, CINS, and BIRN, of publishing “lies to destabilise the country.”

KRIK believes those attacks were linked to its publication of an investigation into properties allegedly owned by Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali and his role in handing state-owned land to his family-run business.

Informer has been called the voice of Prime Minister Vucic because of its regular harsh attacks on the premier’s opponents and critics.

Editor Vucicevic has his own talk show on pro-government Pink TV which has hosted Vucic as a guest in numerous broadcasts.

The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, NUNS, last Thursday condemned what it called a “lynch campaign conducted by Informer against the portal Krik.rs” and said that the charges in the article did indeed endanger Dojcinovic’s safety.

NUNS urged the Ministry of Interior to investigate and inform the public about whether the information in this and other articles in Informer came from state authorities.