Serbian Information Minister Accuses Media of Actively Participating in Domestic Politics

Dejan Ristic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Serbia’s Minister of Information and Telecommunications Dejan Ristic has accused certain local media and media associations of violating the law by taking on an active role in the country’s political scene.

Speaking for Euronews Srbija TV in the evening of Feb. 5, Ristic said that every country’s media are a reflection of its society and, therefore, constitute an indelible part of the social milieu.

“Considering the current situation [in Serbia], the media scene is beginning to display the hallmarks of a crisis,” the minister stated.

According to him, the media community has become increasingly polarized, with certain media – although not many – actively participating in the country’s political developments.

This is true, he claimed, not only of certain media houses, “but also [of] several professional journalistic associations, [which] by openly violating their statutes i.e. founding documents, are violating the Public Information and Media Act by taking on an active role in our country’s political life.”

The minister concluded that the ongoing social tensions in Serbia, as well as in numerous societies in Europe and the world, can only be resolved through dialogue, adherence to regulations and mutual respect, adding that more intense talks could begin “within a few days.”