"Tycoons wielding more power than politicians"

A journalists' association has condemned recent pressure exerted on its members by the Delta Holding owner.

Izvor: B92

Saturday, 17.11.2007.

15:28

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A journalists' association has condemned recent pressure exerted on its members by the Delta Holding owner. The Independent Association of Journalists says that recently they have been lent on more by the nouveau riche than politicians, as these tycoons hold great wealth and power. "Tycoons wielding more power than politicians" That is why telephone calls from Delta owner Miroslav Miskovic have not surprised the association’s Djordje Vlajic, who says that Ljiljana Smajlovic merely voiced what her colleagues have already felt for a long time. “From time to time, businessmen, politicians and influential people ring up journalists, asking them to write – or not write – various things,” he said. “Mr. Miskovic and his company have been under scrutiny for some time now because of monopolies, and now that story is unfolding and is clearly irking them, so that he is now looking for a way to suppress this type of criticism, that’s calling into question his place on the market,” said Vlajic. He says that the whole of society, and not just the associations concerned, should stand up to defend the media. Fellow association member Nino Brajevic shares these sentiments that the state should shield journalists from pressure. He warns that tycoons are exploiting the media’s reliance on advertising money, adding that people in Serbia still do not know who the real owners of certain media channels are. “It would be interesting to find out just how much of Miskovic’s capital is in Miskovic’s hands,” he said. “We’re working with data that, apart from Vecernje Novosti, there are other papers that depend on the capital and financing of the Miskovic empire,” says Brajevic.

"Tycoons wielding more power than politicians"

That is why telephone calls from Delta owner Miroslav Mišković have not surprised the association’s Đorđe Vlajić, who says that Ljiljana Smajlović merely voiced what her colleagues have already felt for a long time.

“From time to time, businessmen, politicians and influential people ring up journalists, asking them to write – or not write – various things,” he said.

“Mr. Mišković and his company have been under scrutiny for some time now because of monopolies, and now that story is unfolding and is clearly irking them, so that he is now looking for a way to suppress this type of criticism, that’s calling into question his place on the market,” said Vlajić.

He says that the whole of society, and not just the associations concerned, should stand up to defend the media.

Fellow association member Nino Brajević shares these sentiments that the state should shield journalists from pressure. He warns that tycoons are exploiting the media’s reliance on advertising money, adding that people in Serbia still do not know who the real owners of certain media channels are.

“It would be interesting to find out just how much of Mišković’s capital is in Mišković’s hands,” he said.

“We’re working with data that, apart from Večernje Novosti, there are other papers that depend on the capital and financing of the Mišković empire,” says Brajević.

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