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As part of the program Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: Exposing Malign Influences through Watchdog Journalism”, we present you a new monthly analyses of fake news and disinformation narratives.

Attacks and threats against journalists in Serbia: systemic pressures and the erosion of media freedom

The attacks and threats directed at journalists in Serbia during December 2025 represent a continuation of a long-standing and systemic problem of endangering media freedom. Although attacks on journalists—particularly those from independent newsrooms—were evident throughout the year, particular concern was raised by serious threats directed at investigative journalist Vuk Cvijić of the weekly Radar, as well as N1 television journalist Mladen Savatović.

In connection with the publication of an article in Radar, Vuk Cvijić received a threatening phone call from abroad, endangering his personal safety. On the other hand, following a confrontation at a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, N1 television journalist Mladen Savatović received serious threats via social media in two waves.

The President of the European Federation of Journalists, Maja Sever, assessed that such threats constitute a “very dangerous message,” emphasizing that Serbia is among the countries with the highest number of attacks on journalists, not only in the region but also at the European level. From her statements, it can be concluded that the fact that Vuk Cvijić had previously been a target of attacks is particularly concerning, indicating a continuity of pressures and the absence of any form of institutional protection.

The case of the attack on Mladen Savatović further sheds light on the mechanisms of pressure exerted on independent media, as the threats followed after the President of Serbia publicly criticized him at a press conference. According to the aforementioned assessment by Maja Sever, such events create “a very clear picture of a culture of violence that has, unfortunately, been accepted.”

The Association of Independent Electronic Media also warned about this pattern of violence, stressing that the new threats “occurred in the context of political pressures and incendiary public rhetoric, further narrowing the space for free and safe journalistic work.”

Narratives of Pro-Government Media: Relativization of Attacks and Threats

In response to the attacks and threats directed at journalists Vuk Cvijić and Mladen Savatović, as well as other incidents and threats aimed at journalists from N1 and Nova S during December, pro-government media outlets such as Informer and Republika have relied on narratives with a dual function—relativizing the violence itself while further discrediting the victims. Instead of clearly condemning the threats, these media contextualize events in a way that shifts responsibility for the escalation of violence onto the journalists themselves, portraying them as political actors or provocateurs.

In Informer’s reporting, attacks on journalists are often presented as a “reaction of the public” to allegedly unprofessional or “anti-Serbian” conduct by journalists. Vuk Cvijić, even earlier in the year when threats or incidents occurred, was not portrayed in Informer’s coverage as an investigative journalist facing threats, but rather as a “controversial figure” whose professional integrity is called into question.

The manner in which these media treat the case of Mladen Savatović is also indicative. After the President of Serbia reacted sharply to Savatović’s question at a press conference, pro-government tabloids justified or relativized the reaction of the head of state, while Savatović was portrayed as someone who “attacks” the President.

The common denominator of pro-government media narratives in these cases is the absence of a clear condemnation of unacceptable behavior or the endangerment of journalists.

For example, in an earlier 2025 article titled “Vuk Cvijić Playing the Victim Again! A Wretched Fraud, Star of the Blockader Media,” Informer openly disqualified Vuk Cvijić, claiming that he “ran to anti-Serbian media and started whining,” while his statement was described as “meaningless and based on lies and attention-seeking.” It further stated that this was “yet another cheap piece of politicking” and a “transparent media performance,” accompanied by the message that “the people of Serbia see everything and draw their own conclusions.”

A similar pattern was present in recent December articles concerning the case of Mladen Savatović. Already in the headline “Sniff, sniff, whine, whine – Tycoon journalist Savatović whined on N1,” Informer uses a mocking tone, labeling Savatović as a “tycoon journalist from the anti-Serbian television N1” who had “for months openly supported the violence of the blockaders on the streets.” His reaction is presented as “playing the victim,” while Savatović’s announcement of a lawsuit against the President of Serbia is described with ironic phrasing such as “believe it or not.”

In the same article, Informer also claims that Savatović himself allegedly attacked an Informer journalist. This narrative is further expanded in the article “Crude Insults and Physical Assault: ANS Strongly Condemned the Attack on an Informer Journalist,” where, by citing the newly established Association of Journalists of Serbia (ANS), “legitimacy” is added to claims that Savatović carried out a “brutal physical and verbal attack,” while the broader context is almost entirely ignored.

The Republika portal, the web outlet of the tabloid Srpski telegraf, went a step further with the controversial headline “A Scandal That Shocked Serbia: Blockader Journalist Viciously Attacked an Informer Colleague!” using expressions such as “viciously,” “waving a microphone and shouting,” thereby portraying the journalist as a perpetrator of violence rather than as the target of a campaign and threats that followed.

Overall, these articles not only relativize threats against journalists, but actively promote a narrative in which threats and pressures are treated as a legitimate reaction to “anti-Serbian” or “blockader” activities, further worsening the environment in which independent media operate.

The attacks and threats against journalists during December 2025 build upon a trend of increasingly frequent pressures on media professionals in Serbia. Pro-regime media, on the other hand, further target these journalists through their narratives. Such practices can negatively affect individual safety and, in the long term, undermine media freedom.

Author: Igor Mirosavljević