Association says editor's sacking was "political"

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) says tabloid Alo's editor-in-chief Antonije Kovacevic was dismissed "for standing up to Boris Tadic". The UNS said in a release on Friday that Kovacevic was sacked “only three days after he openly stood up to the president’s pressure on the daily’s editorial policy”. Association says editor's sacking was "political" Ringier Axel Springer Media AG Director Florian Fels announced that Kovacevic had been relieved of his duty because of the the coverage of the arrest of Ratko Mladic, when the paper "portrayed Mladic as a human being". The Swiss company, which in Serbia owns dailies Blic, Alo and 24 Sata, as well as weekly NIN, said that Kovacevic was dismissed “due to the differences regarding Alo’s further development”. The UNS stressed that Kovacevic had was sacked by Ringier Chairman Michael Ringier personally, even though the editor was previously supported in his sharp criticism of the Serbian authorities. According to the UNS announcement, Ringier “went to dinner with the Serbian president”, and after that, fired Kovacevic. “The UNS has been warning for quite some time that Serbian journalists are being intimidated and humiliated, and that the media are uniform and under strict political control. The UNS opposes forceful introduction of the ‘European spirit’ by means of brutal replacement of editors, that intimidates journalists. It is hypocritical to make fake excuses for politically motivated sackings,” said the association's statement. Michael Ringier today denied that the firing of the editor was political, saying that it was in line with the company's position that "circulation and business success cannot be built on tolerance of war crimes". Ringier also denied that there was pressure from Boris Tadic to remove Kovacevic.

Association says editor's sacking was "political"

Ringier Axel Springer Media AG Director Florian Fels announced that Kovačević had been relieved of his duty because of the the coverage of the arrest of Ratko Mladić, when the paper "portrayed Mladić as a human being".

The Swiss company, which in Serbia owns dailies Blic, Alo and 24 Sata, as well as weekly NIN, said that Kovačević was dismissed “due to the differences regarding Alo’s further development”.

The UNS stressed that Kovačević had was sacked by Ringier Chairman Michael Ringier personally, even though the editor was previously supported in his sharp criticism of the Serbian authorities.

According to the UNS announcement, Ringier “went to dinner with the Serbian president”, and after that, fired Kovačević.

“The UNS has been warning for quite some time that Serbian journalists are being intimidated and humiliated, and that the media are uniform and under strict political control. The UNS opposes forceful introduction of the ‘European spirit’ by means of brutal replacement of editors, that intimidates journalists. It is hypocritical to make fake excuses for politically motivated sackings,” said the association's statement.

Michael Ringier today denied that the firing of the editor was political, saying that it was in line with the company's position that "circulation and business success cannot be built on tolerance of war crimes".

Ringier also denied that there was pressure from Boris Tadić to remove Kovačević.