EFJ condemns online slanders against Serbia’s journalist

NEWS 16.12.201914:31
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The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) supported on Monday Vladimir Radomirovic, the editor of the anti-corruption Pistaljka (Whistle) website and the President of the Association of Serbia’s Journalists (UNS), who was exposed to a campaign on social networks, the Beta news agency reported.

UNS has earlier said that attacks on Radomirovic followed his appearance at the Impression of the Week political talk show on Nova S TV on December 1.

Radomirovic then asked why the Belgrade NIN weeklyeditorial team did not refuse to withdraw a photo showing a sniper barrel aiming at President Aleksandar Vucic on its cover page.

After a compromise with its publisher Ringier Axel Springer Srbija, NIN withdrew the photo and printed a blank front page instead. “We strongly condemn this type of online labelling campaign based on pure disinformation,” the EFJ Secretary-General Ricardo Gutiérrez told UNS.

The EFJ called on journalists in Serbia to respect each other and avoid to relay on biased and false information to damage their colleagues’ reputation.

UNS said that Radomirovic came under attacks after criticising the withdrawal of the photo, seeing the move as censorship and an example of the lack of editorial freedom.

The Association added it was an attempt to discredit the Pistaljka website which investigated the corruption cases in Serbia.