30. 08. 2005

POLITICAL ATTACK AGAINST DEFIANT EDITOR

NOVI SAD, August 30, 2005 (Danas) – There are serious indications that the editor in chief of the Pancevac newspaper Nenad Zivkovic has not been dismissed from his position for professional reasons, but because of a political attack against the “disobedient” editor, warns the Independent Journalists' Society of Vojvodina. There are also clear indications that Zivkovic has been dismissed to remove an obstacle for takeover of Pancevac by certain interest groups during the paper's forthcoming privatization. Zivkovic has been doing his job with integrity, completely insusceptible to political influence of any kind. He was certainly not a good choice for the persons who are behind his dismissal. Zivkovic's dismissal has not been justified by professional, but utterly bizarre reasons like disagreements with the editorial office, it is pointed out in the announcement of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina. The Association reminds that “the last two years were very successful for Pancevac newspaper under Zivkovic's leadership. The circulation has increased and it has become one of the best and most professional local newspapers in Serbia, with a quality far exceeding its municipal boundaries.” The announcement says that “because of his courage, not only as an editor, but as a citizen, Zivkovic has made enemies among the 'nationalistically aware' local and not just local politicians: let us just mention that during the March 2004 demonstrations, when Serbia reverberated with hatred towards everything nonserbian, when mosques were burned and Albanian, Roma, Hungarian and Slovakian houses were stoned, Zivkovic painted graffiti which called to peace and tolerance for which he has even been arrested!” The Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina points out that the “case of Nenad Zivkovic should not be regarded as a single, isolated incident, but as a serious warning that local power brokers will do anything to take or keep control over local media and that they will attack anyone who stands in their way”.