Marija Šehić: My dismissal from "Juronjuz" is a warning to others

"I expected to be fired. The day that 'Juronjuz' issued a statement (condemning the blocking of RTS and calling on the authorities to enable the operation of the public service, ed. nov), I said in a telephone conversation that if the statement is not withdrawn, I will distance myself from it on my networks by name and surname," she told "Vreme" Marija Sehic, until yesterday a journalist of "Juronujza", and today - unemployed.

She was formally fired from her employer, Arena News Channels DOO Belgrade, because she "carried out her work duties negligently or negligently" and "violated work discipline." However, neither Šehić, nor the journalistic associations of Serbia they don't believe that's the real reason.

"If you distance yourself from this house..."

It all started on April 18, during the student blockade of Radio and Television of Serbia. The editors of "Juronjuz" then issued a statement 'We call on the authorities to enable the work of RTS', where they condemned the blockade and called on the competent institutions to react and enable the operation of the public service.

However, as it would later turn out, the newsroom's announcement did not reflect the true mood of the majority of employees, who soon distanced themselves from it.

Šehić was among the first to step forward. She told her superiors that she would disassociate herself from the announcement of "Juronuj" even before there was an agreement of the collective to do it together.

"I was then told: 'If you distance yourself from this house, this house will also distance itself from you.'

"I would do the same again"

She adds that she would do the same again, regardless of the cost.

"I believe that a journalist is primarily responsible to the public, the law and the Code of Journalists of Serbia, and that he is obliged to defend the rules and honor of the profession," said the journalist of "Juronjuza" yesterday.

When asked if she expects her former editorial staff to continue with layoffs, she says that she cannot claim anything, but that they were previously informed that there would be "a new systematization of jobs."

"Both the announcement of NUNS and UNS states that one weekend shift was abolished. The shifts were changed shortly after that announcement, so I think they are now trying to present that they have technological redundancy, but that is just my assumption," he adds.

Šehić is not the only one who distanced herself from "Juronjuz" without working there anymore. As he told "Vreme", digital director Jasmina Koprivica left this media house a few weeks ago, and producer Ivana Stojadinović did the same two days ago. However, both Koprivica and Stojadinović "parted ways" with "Juronjuza".

"Maybe my dismissal is a warning to others in the newsroom, but my colleagues have shown that they are honorable enough and that they are ready to fight for their profession and objectivity in reporting, as much as possible," says Šehić and concludes:

"I have heard the sentence several times in the past few months: 'Be smart'. We all know what that means, but I believe that my colleagues will continue to work as hard as they have been doing so far."

UNS: We call on "Juronuj" to stop this practice

Due to the dismissal of Marija Šehić, journalists' associations also spoke out. The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) points out in a statement that "unfounded dismissal journalists Marija Šehić on TV Juronjuz Srbija represents revenge because she opposed the trampling of professional standards, pressures and harassment of journalists of this media company, since Minja Miletić, regional director, and Dragana Pejović, editor-in-chief, came to her leading positions.

From the Decision on the termination of Marija Šehić's employment contract, which UNS had insight into, "it is clear that the draconian move, leaving her without a job, is based on other motives, because three situations are cited as the basis, one of which is that she incorrectly stated the functions of two guests in the live program, which she corrected in the same show."

"We remind you that in the previous period, journalists and media workers of Juronujz Serbia were exposed to serious pressures from the editorial staff and management, including censorship, the prohibition of asking questions to the authorities and sanctions for professional conduct. They were openly threatened with dismissal and suggested that they must be loyal to the owner of the media, which threatens freedom of expression and editorial independence. After expressed disagreement with the company's policy, employees suffer retaliation through schedule changes, layoff announcements and attempts to justify technological redundancy." UNS announced.

That journalist association points out that "it is afraid that the management of Juronujz Serbia will continue to deal harshly with journalists and media workers who signed their names on the announcement of April 18 and thus became 'undesirable'".

UNS called on the management and editorial staff of "Juronujz" to immediately stop practices that "threaten the professional integrity and freedom of expression of employees, and to ensure conditions for free and dignified work without fear of repression - including the cessation of pressure in the form of threats of dismissal and disciplinary measures for conscientious and responsible journalistic work."

"We also invite them to reconsider their decision on the dismissal that was handed to their colleague Marija Šehić yesterday," UNS announced.