Serbia’s Information and Telecommunications Minister Dejan Ristic said “there are media in Serbia that promote violence and allow their guests to call for the overthrow of the constitutional order, murder of citizens, and attacks on senior officials.”
Asked by N1 when such calls were made on N1 and Nova TV, Ristic claimed they happen “on a daily basis,” but did not offer any concrete instances.
“Serbia currently has over 2,400 registered print and electronic media outlets, which means we have media pluralism and a diversity of opinions. With this pluralism, there must also be accountability for what is presented in the public sphere,” Ristic told a media conference following the signing of an agreement on emergency information transmission at the Palace of Serbia.
Ristic emphasized that “some media are promoting violence and allowing guests to call for the overthrow of the constitutional order, for the murder of Serbian citizens, and violence against senior state officials.”
The minister explained that he has frequent consultations with directors and editors-in-chief of all the leading media in the country, which includes those within United Group.
“We’ve had several meetings on this topic. I urge professionalism, and on the other hand, I am announcing that the state will respond in extreme cases where the Public Information Act and the Media Law are violated, especially concerning hate speech, breaches of personal dignity, and similar issues,” Ristic stressed.
He underlined the need for everyone to be responsible and professional in their roles.
When asked by N1 for specific examples of murder calls on United Group’s TV stations (N1 TV and Nova TV), Ristic just said such calls happen “on a daily basis.”
“This is a widespread problem. You’ll notice that the ministry did not impose immediate sanctions, I initially chose to engage in dialogue. We have 76 registered journalists’ associations, and I’m not sure if you were aware of this. We are holding daily discussions and delaying sanctions until we have exhausted dialogue. If you ask me whether I am satisfied as a citizen and media consumer, I am not, I am very concerned,” said Minister Ristic.