The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) published a proclamation ahead of World Press Freedom Day, in which it states that “freedom of the media in Serbia is seriously endangered because journalism has not been in a more difficult economic situation in recent history.”
“We urge journalists and media workers to interrupt their electronic media broadcasts from 11:55 until 12:00 (on Tuesday) and read the proclamation or publish it on the screen, and in online and print media,” said UNS.
A statement also pointed out that “in the year behind us, even the municipal police gave themselves the right to restrict the work of journalists” while local authorities used the withdrawal of the state from media ownership to drastically reduce funding, “and in that way carry out additional pressure on the freedom of the media.”
UNS stressed that due to privatizations, some 1,000 journalists and media workers lost their jobs, while some have also been denied their right to severance benefits.