Media Coalition Set To Leave Working Group for Journalists’ Safety 

Media coalition BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

Independent Journalist’s Association of Serbia (IJAS) President Zeljko Bodrozic on March 16 said that the media coalition, comprising six media associations, would leave the government’s Working Group for the safety and protection of journalists.

This announcement has been triggered by the government’s failure to react to threats to reporters of the Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK), as pro-government tabloids “have been putting targets on their back” by accusing them of collaborating with the criminal gang of Veljko Belivuk.

The media coalition which threatens to leave the Government’s Working Group for the safety and protection of journalists consists of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, IJAS, the Association of Media, the Association of Online Media, and the Association of Independent Local Media Local Press.

KRIK founder Stevan Dojcinovic said that since it had been set up in 2015, KRIK had constantly been attacked by media outlets and television stations with national frequency which were known to be “the mouthpiece of the authorities.” He added that most bizarre by far were the media accusations that KRIK was linked with the gang of Veljko Belivuk, who had been arrested.