14. 07. 2003

Pal: "Journalists should be thrown into The Danube and Sava Rivers"

BECEJ, 14 July, 2003 – Sandor Pal, Serbian MP, Novi Sad University professor and DZVM leader, has said that journalists of TV Pink, Vecernje novosti and Politika should be thrown into the Danube and the Sava. Pal made his comment on Friday, 11 July, at a panel discussion entitled “local politicians and the media”, while criticising the operations of these media companies during this and the previous regime. Shortly prior to the statement, Sandor insisted that when performing his political duties he does not threaten or influence the work of journalists by forcing his views upon them. The professor’s inflammatory suggestion was met with strong reactions from the audience and participants of the debate, but Sandor continued his tirade by claiming that the Serbian press is not independent and that it would be most agreeable if it could be neutral. However, he insisted that if the government is financing the media then journalists are obliged to write as the government directs, while “they can write what they want with money they raise for themselves”.