Investigative journalism today in Serbia it is perhaps more important than ever, especially in a society that is in a crisis of democracy, in which there is complete control of the majority of the media and there is not much space where the truth can be heard, researchers assessed journalists, participants of the forum on investigative journalism, organized at the Faculty of Sports in Belgrade for students majoring in sports journalism.
The speakers reminded that journalists have a responsibility towards the public and that they must always question their actions. The deputy editor of the Balkan Investigative Network (BIRN), Aleksandar Đorđević, emphasized that investigative journalism is "emotionally challenging" but also brings great professional satisfaction.
"Journalists are not ordinary soldiers - their freedom and integrity are key to preserving democracy," Djordjevic said.
Closure of institutions
The participants of the forum assessed the closure of institutions as one of the biggest obstacles to professional journalism in Serbia, i.e. the availability of information of public importance, where the canopy case, according to Đorđević, is an illustrative example of government obstruction and ignoring the legal obligation to make information public.
"The whole country had to rise to its feet in order for the authorities to deliver the documents, and they did so in front of the cameras, but even then they did not deliver everything." Institutions, faculties, schools - the whole country was blocked, and the government continues to mislead the public and does not provide all the information. This is particularly important because it is all of our funds, and the government does not tell us where that money ended up and how it was spent," added Đorđević, stressing that "when the government is irresponsible, our task is to insist on the truth, regardless to the pressures".
Financing independent media is always a challenge, and given that representatives of the government and pro-government media call them "foreign mercenaries", the speakers stated that they are financed mainly through projects of the European Union, international organizations and foreign embassies, which at the same time cooperate with the state through support for infrastructure projects, renovation of schools and the like.
"Unlike the domestic practice, our donors do not condition the topics we will deal with, which confuses the government, which is used to a different dynamic," explained Đorđević, adding that this allows journalists the freedom to investigate the most sensitive topics.
Bojana Jovanović, deputy editor of the Crime and Corruption Research Network (KRIK), pointed out that the media in Serbia today is polarized, and that research centers are in between, providing citizens with unbiased information.
Rare epilogues of exposed affairs
"Our function is to expose what the government is hiding, and our texts can serve as material for the prosecution in the future, when the judiciary becomes independent," stated the deputy editor of KRIK and added that they must check every piece of information with at least three independent sources.
Although their stories point the public to corruption, affairs, connections between state representatives and criminal groups, there is rarely an epilogue in those cases. Instead, the results of their research serve the ruling groups to attack them, both in public and through a large number of lawsuits initiated by the media without concrete grounds.
"Part of our motivation is defiance. When the government starts a campaign against us, it further inspires us to find the truth," Bojana Jovanović emphasized.
The deputy editor of the Center for Investigative Journalism (CINS), Dina Đorđević, emphasized that we are in an exciting and challenging time for journalism, but that despite all the obstacles, they remain optimistic.
"Investigative journalists face closed institutions and numerous obstacles, but our work is still recognized for its thorough approach, through document analysis, access to information of public importance and work with sources." We believe that our work can change things, even though sometimes it seems like a child's faith in justice," said Đorđević.
Due to the closed nature of the institutions towards the media, she added that nowadays investigative journalists are increasingly returning to the basic techniques of journalism, such as working with sources and working in the field. However, she cited the example of the case of malfeasance at the Krusik factory, where the person who was the source of the information was arrested and exposed to a public slander campaign.
"That was a clear message, a threat to all those who decide to cooperate with journalists," said Đorđević, reminding of the gravity of this profession.
