Pavle Kosić, now a former journalist of "Juronjuz", reveals in his author's text what the last six months of his work at this television looked like under increasingly visible political pressures.
"Grade three. Below average meets the criteria. That's how the main and responsible editor Dragana Pejović rated my six-month work as a journalist at 'Juronjuz'. And that after she personally invited me to return to the editorial office. Without any specific explanation, without clear evaluation criteria, and especially without the possibility to defend myself, A notice of termination arrived at my home address a few days later - on the grounds that I am redundant".
With these words, Pavle Kosić begins his text, until recently a journalist of "Juronjuz Srbija" television, who is among at least 12 employees who were fired at the end of June. In his testimony, which was published on the website of the Association of Journalists of Serbia, his professional fate and what happened with editorial policy of this media house.
The day that changed everything
"There has been talk in journalistic circles for some time about changing Juronuj's editorial policy," writes Kosić. "The atmosphere in the newsroom has been tense since I returned last December."
As a key moment, he cites the day when an unsigned announcement appeared on the website of this television entitled "We call on the authorities to enable the operation of RTS", published on April 18 - right at the height of the student blockade of the Public Service building.
"Until today, no one has publicly stood behind that text, while the editors are left to guess who the author is," writes Kosić. The statement compared the students to the Khmer Rouge - the infamous regime responsible for the deaths of around two million people in Cambodia.
"Colleagues refused to read even the 'softened' version of the text, despite threats to bear the 'consequences'. That evening, almost the entire editorial office publicly distanced itself from that text."
Editor's silence
Kosić points out that, although until then he had a "correct but already damaged" relationship with the editor-in-chief, he expected support. He wrote her a message stating: "I was hoping you would support your journalists in resisting the attempted abuse of the newsroom."
He says he never received an answer. "At least not direct."
Instead, suggestions were ignored, then topic bans, then shift changes, and finally, dismissal.
Forbidden topics
Kosić cites several specific examples of censorship: "On the suggestion that we do a story about offshore companies, the editor-in-chief said that she did not think that the topic could be covered 'through two interlocutors and without serious research'. She added that we could come to an agreement next week. That conversation never happened."
A similar fate befell proposals on police brutality, Media Freedom Day, as well as changes to the law on EXPO.
"Such and similar stories used to be an integral part of the Euronews program, which I have pointed out on several occasions," recalls Kosić.
Punishment through shifts
"If I would complain that the new shifts are exhausting, and that it is impossible for one journalist to be in three places at the same time - I would just get more such shifts."
The new work system was, he says, only an introduction to systematization and rationalization, announced by the management under the pretext that "the owners are dissatisfied with the results."
"The atmosphere of tension thus grew into an atmosphere of anticipation," writes Kosić. Everything culminated on June 25, when at least 12 employees were fired, and previously the journalist Marija Šehić.
Prohibition of research as a policy
"Censorship, political propaganda, silencing of important information and prohibition of research on certain topics are incompatible with journalism."
In that environment, he says, the space for honest practice of the profession is getting smaller, but it has not disappeared.
"The duty of a journalist is not to remain silent. In the case of the Juron News editorial office, it has been shown that it can be costly, but journalistic integrity is something that is difficult to build and can very easily collapse."
You can read the full text of Pavlo Kosić at portal of the Association of Journalists of Serbia.
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