Serbian Students Protest Against Pro-Government Media ‘Propaganda’

Serbian protesters have announced a demonstration against a government-backed television channel, labeling it a “propaganda tool.” Student organizers plan to hold the protest in front of the offices of Informer TV and its associated tabloid newspaper. Bogdan Vusic, a student from the Belgrade Faculty of Political Science, stated, “For a long time, this outlet has been spreading lies and misinformation.”

The student-led protests, fueled by widespread corruption concerns, have intensified nationwide pressure on President Aleksandar Vučić’s government. The movement gained momentum after the roof of a newly built railway station in Novi Sad collapsed in November 2024, highlighting what protesters claim is government negligence and corruption.

From the beginning, pro-government media have portrayed student protesters as “foreign agents,” accusing them of receiving financial support from opposition groups and conspiring to stage a coup. The tabloid Kurir alleged that students were “terrorizing Belgrade,” while Informer claimed they were being funded by USAID and billionaire George Soros. Another government-aligned broadcaster, Pink TV, compared the protests to a 2008 Kosovo-backed rebellion.

Student leader Vusic has accused Informer TV and its tabloid of specifically targeting student activists by publishing personal information about their families, which he argues violates journalistic ethics. The Serbian Press Council reported that Informer violated journalistic standards 647 times in 2024. Many Serbian newspapers and TV channels are owned by individuals closely linked to the government and regularly echo official narratives.

Vusic warned that such media portrayals contribute to hostility and division, making students appear as enemies of the state. “These narratives create a climate of violence and polarization,” he said. “That is why we want to put an end to this dirty propaganda game.”

Informer is one of Serbia’s most widely read newspapers, with a daily circulation of 57,000 copies, sold at a significantly lower price than its competitors. The media group claims its TV channel is the most-watched among cable networks. Like other pro-government outlets, Informer benefits from state-controlled advertising and exclusive interviews with national leaders, reinforcing its influence in Serbian media.

Slobodan Georgijev, news director of Nova S TV, described the state of independent media in Serbia as “increasingly dire.” Reporters Without Borders has also highlighted that most Serbian media rely on opaque public grants and government-affiliated advertisers. Dragoljub Petrović, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Danas, stated, “Government-linked advertisers and state-owned companies completely ignore independent media.”