Vienna, 14/02/2017
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemned the behavior of local authorities in Serbia after their unacceptable and unprofessional behavior towards a journalist from the daily paper Danas.
Despite having sent a press release inviting members of the media to an event in Belgrade, Serbia, the City administration decided that a journalist from the daily Danas was not welcome to attend the gathering. Once at the location of the event, the journalist was told by members of the city PR Services that he cannot be present at the opening of a new wheelchair ramp, out of fear that he might ask a City Manager also present there some “tricky questions”. He was also told that the invitation to Danas was revoked earlier that day because of “certain articles they had written in the previous days”.
SEEMO call Belgrade City administration, as well as the City Manager in attendance to publically apologize to the journalist and to the daily Danas as well. Press conferences and events by public authorities must be open for journalists and It is unacceptable to revoke invitations and forbid journalists from attending an event.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.