Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium calls on the European institutions to publicly condemn any attempts by President Aleksandar Vučić and other politicians to interfere with and denigrate the independent broadcaster’s editorial policy in Serbia.
They expressed serious concern over the threat of political interference in the operations of United Group’s media outlets in Serbia, which owns the major independent television news channels that are active in Serbia, N1 and Nova TV.
They recalled that on 27 August Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that Serbian’s President Aleksandar Vučić intends to undermine the independence of N1 and Nova TV.
A leaked recording emerged of a conversation between Vladimir Lučić, CEO of Telekom Srbija, and Stan Miller, the CEO of United Group, newly appointed by the British private firm BC Partners, a major owner of United Group, in which the tow can be heard discussing Serbian President Vučić’s demand for the dismissal of United Media’s executive director, Aleksandra Subotić, as he is “aware that it is difficult now to change the director of N1”.
MFRR underlines in a statement published today that this conversation clearly suggests a plan to first replace the executive of the United Group, who had resisted commercial and political pressure over the years, before interfering with N1.
The MFRR consortium is appalled by the content of the audio recording and condemns any political interference within the United Group that would have a significant impact on independent broadcasters, starting with N1.
In July, the MFRR had already expressed concern in a letter to BC Partners regarding the recent change in leadership at United Group.
“This information is particularly concerning amidst intensified political pressure on independent journalism in Serbia. Back in April, N1 and Nova TV were removed from the satellite television service, leaving viewers with no choice but to watch these channels on the internet. N1 was the most-watched TV channel on the SBB network”, the statement said.
They recalled that Serbian President Vučić and his allies have engaged in relentless smear campaign against the independent reporting of N1 on the student-led protests that emerged since the collapse of the canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024.
“N1, which was labelled by President Vučić as ‘doing pure terrorism’, is constantly portrayed as an opponent of the state, along with United Media journalists in Serbia”, stated MFRR.
They added that since the January 2025, Mapping Media Freedom has documented 26 instances of intimidation and threats against N1, predominantly online.
Mapping Media Freedom has documented 200 alerts directed against journalists, media outlets, and journalists’ associations in Serbia since 1 November 2024, an unprecedented figure compared to the previous years
The MFRR urged the Serbian government to stop all forms of undue influence on private media owners and respect the independence of media houses, while also refraining from applying pressure on editorial policies and decisions through personal relationships or political connections.
“Smear campaigns aimed to discredit truthful reporting must be immediately stopped”, statement underlined.
They also called on authorities to ensure swift and independent investigations into attacks on journalists. As assessed during the MFRR solidarity mission in April, pending investigations never make it to the end.
They reiterated their calls on BC Partners to reaffirm its commitment to European standards of media freedom and freedom of expression and to defend United Media’s affiliates and employees from political and other forms of interference, also in line with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
“Finally, the MFRR stands in full solidarity with the employees of United Media and the journalists of N1, who continue to produce high-quality reporting despite operating in such a highly hostile environment for critical voices”, the statement concluded.
